Latest reviews

Sue Lilly reviewed: Mindful embroidery for beginners, sewing, button craft, East Riding of Yorkshire

"A happy afternoon with new friends. Learnt lots of new stitches and techniques that I've been practicing at home. Practice makes perfect. Haven't stopped sewing."

Beehive Wellbeing responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review Sue, indeed practice does make perfect. I'm glad you are enjoying it. x"

Mandy Burgess reviewed: Upholstery 1 day workshop - make your own footstool

"Had a really enjoyable day and felt so proud to take home a professional looking footstool. Every step of the process was done under Sue's watchful eye and her supportive tips inspire confidence. Looking forward to my next upholstery project."

Tuffett responded:

"Thank you Mandy. You made a lovely job of your footstool and you should be very proud. Best wishes, Sue"

Freemotion Course reviewed: 1-day patchwork & quilting workshops in Watford with Green Man Quilts

"I really enjoyed the course, and found it very challenging. This had more to do with my skills and creative talent than anything. I think it made me realise that I need to do a lot more practice of the basics which I am getting more confident it. When life is a little less hectic I would like to join one of your classes as this would mean I got regular support and instruction. Thank you once again. Ginny"

Green Man Quilts responded:

"Hi Ginny You did really well. Please don't undervalue yourself! Free motion is something that really needs regular practice to come good and you will get there. You had some challenges with your machine and I am sure that a new stitch plate will resolve that. I am glad that my spare came in useful for you and enabled you to get the most out of your day. I would love to have you along on one of my regular classes, but until then, do keep an eye on my day and weekend workshops to keep you "boosted" Thank you for spending the day with me and allowing me to help with your quilting skills"

Pandora Craig reviewed: Glass fusing and slumping for beginners

"I really enjoyed this course. Adam is a great teacher and explains all the processes so well. He covered lots of techniques in the two days and supported me every step of the way with my glass work which is now pride of place in my kitchen. Would highly recommend this course to anyone who wants to get creative and learn about glass in a relaxed, fun environment with a consummate professional as your tutor."

Christine Wood reviewed: Create stunning art using pastels with Kate West

"I attended Kate's 'Pastel Starter Workshop' last week and would recommend this course to anyone, who is either thinking of using pastels, or is coming back to using them after a period of time. The session was a real hands-on, 'have a go' afternoon. We learned about different types and brands of pastels and also about a range of papers and techniques. It was a thoroughly enjoyable workshop with participants encouraged to give their thoughts and opinions about the various brands being used and also about their experiences of using pastels. Kate offers participants in her workshops the benefit of her huge experience and very obvious skills, but alongside this she is hugely encouraging and supportive. Thank you, Kate for another very enjoyable afternoon."

Kate West responded:

"Hi Christine, really pleased you enjoyed the workshop and found it useful and huge thanks for providing yet another thoughtful review that will help others decide whether or not the Pastel starter workshop will be useful to them. I think you are my ‘star reviewer’! Looking forward to seeing you again in March ? Kate"

Tony Duffy reviewed: One day welding course: an introduction

"I recently took a one day welding course with Julian and it was excellent. I went from being a total beginner to really gaining some good understanding and confidence with MIG welding. Even though this is a "one day" course Julian's enthusiasm and knowledge mean you take away a lot more in understanding and practical skill than you would expect. Julian seems to take great pride in ensuring you leave with the right skills and knowledge rather than just running through the material unlike some other courses I have been on. If you are considering gaining experience in welding I can really recommend this course. The price may seem higher than others but the topics and the amount of practical activity you will cover is definitely worth it."

Jennifer Davies reviewed: Photoshop or illustrator skills - group booking

"Mary and her team carry such a wealth of experience, their workshops really are invaluable. I came in from a graphic background but they were able to pinpoint my skills and help me work on areas that may need extra attention. They have that knack of being able to take your ideas and your talents and really push them so you can reach your full potential and your designs really can become the best they can be. And what is more, Mary and her team really are extremely welcoming and friendly and always such a laugh to be around. Couldn't recommend them more :)"

Mary Jones Design responded:

"Thank you Jen for your lovely words! :)"

Stevie Harman reviewed: Embossed letter and bookmark

"My friends and I had a brilliant time with Mel on her Embossed Letter course. We started quite nervous but Mel put us at our ease, explained everything repeatedly (!) and with great patience. Mel gave us a fantastic introduction to this craft both through her knowledge and teaching but also through the many and varied examples of her work to be seen in her studio. We all came away with a piece we could be proud of - what more could anyone want? A brilliant day!"

Dot Hubbard reviewed: Embossed letter and bookmark

"A very instructive and interesting course. Mel was very helpful and friendly. I thoroughly enjoyed it."

Sue Flynn reviewed: Gem cutting - cabochon cutting and an introduction to faceting

"James is a very patient teacher, who demonstrates and explains each step. I enjoyed learning how to cut and polish a cabuchon amethyst. I am thinking about faceting lessons with James now.... Watch this space!"

Mark reviewed: Two leather long stitch journals in a day

"A very relaxed and enjoyable course, Lynne is an excellent tutor and presented the course at a good pace and made it fun throughout. Can't recommended this enough. My wife bought this for me as a Christmas present, so seemed only fair to give her one of the two journals I made! Huge thanks to Lynne for such a great course."

wendy Burns reviewed: Photoshop or illustrator skills - group booking

"After working within the Fashion & textile industry for many years I needed a new direction. With the support of the fabulous Mary Jones design team they kindly looked through my portfolio, they were positive, directional and very inspiring. It's difficult changing direction after many years but with the wealth of knowledge and experience that they have I felt very supported. I can't thank them enough."

Mary Jones Design responded:

"Thank you so much Wendy!"

Vera reviewed: Blacksmith experience day in Tilford, Surrey

"All day hands on, fantastic day. Neil has chosen two objects to make that perfectly cover the basic techniques of blacksmithing, like how and where to target the heat, where to hammer, what extra tools to use, how to undo a wrong bend, etc etc. Great fun! I can highly recommend this course, and you can be assured you'll go home with some amazing self-crafted metalwork."

Nicki Page reviewed: One day leather bag making workshop

"I had a wonderful day learning how to work with leather. Rosanna made the process easy and was an excellent teacher. I made a lovely fold over clutch bag which I'm very proud of. I also purchased her book, which is full of useful tips and patterns. I can't wait to start making my own leather items at home."

Stuart Jackson reviewed: Leather Possibles Pouch Workshop

"I would like to thank Wendy and Clive for the pouch making course I attended recently, it was a great introduction as a beginner to leatherwork with a lot of processes and techniques covered, saddle stitching, dyeing, riveting etc , and good practice with a variety of tools. I learned a lot in a short space of time, and feel more confident to continue with my own leatherwork projects, and would recommend the course to anyone that's looking to get into working with leather"

Evancliffe Leathercraft responded:

"Thank you for this excellent review. We are really pleased to hear that you enjoyed the workshop."

Kate Andrews reviewed: Loose & Expressive Watercolour - Birds & Animals

"Great course. I do have some experience but I think he set it a good level for both beginners and people with some experience. Content was great and he was very clear and supportive. I would recommend the course and Tom to anyone. Great day."

Tom Shepherd Art responded:

"Thanks so much Kate. A pleasure to have you onboard and gald you enjoyed it!! T"

Ann fernie reviewed: ColourWheel art classes for adults - Godalming

"A very instructive and enjoyable experience for me. I have particularly liked the variety of medium as I am a beginner in most of them. Shivana and Emily are very approachable and helpful"

Cal reviewed: 1 day introduction to silver jewellery making

"My friends and I had had a really entertaining and informative workshop making jewellery with Jonathan. It was a very relaxed atmosphere and he made everyone feel welcome and at ease. We got to learn about the processes of making jewellery, about the different components and interesting facts about metals and stones plus we got to make our own jewellery! I would highly recommend learning with Jonathan as he is highly knowledgeable and has a great way of sharing his skills with his students."

Lucy Walker reviewed: Fascinator making Birmingham millinery workshop

"Me and my mum attended one of Rachel’s Fascinator workshop, and it was amazing! Rachel’s knowledge, skill, creativity and patience is second to none. First half of the day was learning lots of different techniques and the afternoon creating our fascinators! There was such a great array of material and choice and Rachel was extremely helpful with everything. Highly recommend and a huge thank you for such a lovely day x"

Terri Cansell reviewed: ColourWheel art classes for adults - Godalming

"I'm on my third term and loving the time I set aside for me. The classes are excellent, giving the student a chance to explore with mediums you may not have considered using before. There are lots of little tricks to learn from the fabulous tutors and usage of some household products you'd never think of applying to art. I have made friends on this course and have found everyone to be so supportive and such fun to be around. Most highly recommended!"

Jenny Parsons reviewed: Pottery experience day at The Ceramic Studio

"Located in beautiful countryside, the studio is bright and cheerful, as are the tutors. We were made welcome and whenever we had a difficulty while working someone was close at hand to help. The lunch was much more/better than I was expecting and because there weren't too many of us we were pretty much able to get to know everyone."

Joy Heap reviewed: Jewellery making with silver clay - one day beginners workshop

"A really fantastic day. Charlotte was very welcoming and made the whole experience very relaxed and pleasurable. Charlotte was very knowledgeable about the subject and provided an extensive range of possibilities to explore. I would recommend the experience and hope to continue this fascinating subject."

Felix & Reuben Jewellery School responded:

"Thank you Joy for your lovely review. It was a pleasure to teach you all about silver clay :)"

Simon Seligman reviewed: Beginners Silver Jewellery Course

"We booked on one of Mark's beginners courses as a family of four and had a truly fantastic day. We each (age range 13-53) got the chance to make a silver ring from scratch and then in the afternoon we had the opportunity to branch out, and made pendants and more rings. Mark was patient, helpful, fun and creative throughout, explaining the science of what we were doing, and ensuring that we tried all the techniques involved in making some lovely things. It was a really fun day and we would recommend it without hesitation."

Dandelion Silver responded:

"Thank you for your review Simon. I really enjoyed my day with you and your family, I have to say the creativity, imagination and skill demonstrated by your two daughters was amazing (you and Sophie didn't do too bad either). If you have any pictures of the hedgehog and the moon pendant I would love to feature them on my website. Mark"

Katrina Shearlaw reviewed: Half day beginner soap making workshop with Keri at The Soap Coach

"Such a lovely way to spend a day, i can't recommend it enough. Keri is so informative and nothing is too much trouble. The aromas floating around the room are amazing and the whole process is fascinating. There's a lot more to soap making than you think, yet not so much that puts you off from wanting to carry on making your own when you get home. Keri makes this all possible should you want to. I've never known any other course to provide such a fantastic after care policy. If you've got a question, Keri is there to answer it and supports you through your soap making adventure. She's incredibly hard working and passionate about her business ethics. A transparent, honest exciting course that's good value for money and you come away with an end product you'll truly be proud of. Dorset is around 3½/4 hrs away for us, but that doesn't put us off, we simply make a weekend of it and incorporate lots of other lovely experiences into it while we're there! Highly recommend"

The Soap Coach Limited responded:

"I am so glad you enjoyed it Katrina, I love seeing you both. Thank you so much for taking the time to review the day - it really is appreciated and you know you are always welcome when you fancy another weekend away in sunny Dorset!"

Stephen Welch reviewed: Woodturning courses in Hampshire - Beginners and improvers wood turning courses - Turn British, all British lathes!!

"This review follows a couple of days reflection having spent a day with Andy in his workshop learning the basics of bowl turning. Andy has a very relaxed and engaging approach to teaching and pitched his tuition at a level I could absorb. His approach introduced the workshop, preparing tools, safety equipment and getting started. A practical demo got me on to the lathe in short order and with a bit of leading the feel of tools helped me to create my first bowl. Some great tips about using oil to aid finishing was a revelation and with his expert help provided me a well finished bowl I was very pleased with. I was keen to get a taste of what I could produce with practice and that was exactly where I left off. I have wish to return to do some spindle turning when I have some bowl turning practice under my belt and have acquired some sharpening technique. One great tip was, don't go buying tools and gadgets before you have had a taster with Andy; his advice has saved my wallet from myself and helped me from buying twice by investing right the first time. Thanks Andy for your instruction, guidance and a thoroughly enjoyable day; I shall return for more. Steve."