Latest reviews

Paul reviewed: One day welding course: an introduction

"5 star one-on-one course. I’d highly recommend doing it before starting welding. You won’t regret it. "

Julian Wadsworth - Artist Blacksmith responded:

"Hi Paul,thanks for your review.You really got to grips with it all,well done. Julian"

Anne Shaw reviewed: Adult Abstract Painting full day workshop

"i did the course yesterday and it was a great day. Jack who led the course was a great artist and teacher. He explained about abstract Art and then we had warm up exercises to get us thinking about abstraction. He then went on to show us the basics and helped us develop our abstract paintings. He was very laid back and easy going. We were able to use various colours of acrylics, plenty of paper to practice on and then even 2 canvases to use if we got carried away. Well worth the money and it was great to learn a different aspect of Art. "

John Oswald reviewed: Router day, how to safely use and maintain a router

"Had a really good time on this course. Mark Farrelly (who was the course tutor) was really good. He explained things excellently and I came away knowing that I had learned quite a bit. Highly recommended to all."

Gillian Hedger reviewed: Expressive Flower Painting Workshop - using acrylics

"As ever Lynn was a superb tutor, I thoroughly enjoyed the day and would recommend doing a course with Lynn"

Paint What You Feel with Lynn Keddie responded:

"It's a pleasure to have you in the group, your lively spirit and enthusiasm is wonderful. Keep experimenting and developing your style Gillian!"

Laura reviewed: One day blacksmithing course in West Wales

"A and T Petersen Ltd blacksmithing course was excellent. We had a really great time learning how to make a set of coat hooks and a poker and rake for bbq or fire. There were just the two of us, and groups tend to only go to four, so everyone gets the attention they need. Aaron was a really friendly teacher, who was patient and stepped into help when needed. Tea and biscuits were readily available, and lots of chat throughout the day meant that time flew by. I would definitely recommend, and would like to book again at some point!"

A and T Petersen Ltd responded:

"Thank you for your review and recommendation. We would love to have you back. Very pleased that you enjoyed the day.- Trudi and Aaron "

Chris Forsey reviewed: Half-day Blacksmith Experience

"Absolutely brilliant morning. A really hands on experience. Great teaching, and demonstrating of techniques as well as guidance throughout the morning. Thoroughly enjoyable, slightly hot in front of the forge and tiring experience, but in a positive manner... after all you are working metal with hammers etc. Would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to either have a go or thinking about doing blacksmithing as a good taster session of things to come. "

Ben reviewed: Axe & Knife Skills - Sloyd Workshop

"An excellent experience that left me with the basic skills to start wood carving with knife, axe, saw and mallet."

Max Sconyers III responded:

"Thanls so much, Ben! It was a pleasure to spend the day together. "

Sarah reviewed: Beginners half-day 1-2-1 pottery throwing workshop for 1 person

"Louise is a fantastic teacher, demonstrating clearly with easy to understand steps, offering support and advice when needed while allowing for exploration and experimentation. The facilities at Blended Monkey are ideal for one to one tuition, in a quiet and well-equipped studio. I had a wonderful half day and look forward to booking more classes! "

Blended Monkey - pottery - woodturning - green woodworking - pole lathe - throwing responded:

"Ah, I'm blushing now :-) Really pleased you enjoyed the throwing session. You took to it very quickly and I'm keen to see your pieces emerge from the kiln. Thank you for leaving a lovely review."

Tracy Burns reviewed: Handmade Ceramic Stargazing Hare Brooch with Red heart

"Just BEAUTIFUL. My friend will be thrilled with this Christmas present."

Ceramics By Robinson responded:

"I am delighted your thrilled Tracy. Thank you for supporting my small business Merry Christmas "

Andrea Lewis-Woodhead reviewed: Make a Tiffany stained glass tea light

"A very enjoyable and educational experience. Kate was an excellent teacher and I made a lovely Tiffany tea light holder which I'm very proud of. "

Martin McAssey Glass responded:

"Thank you for the nice review, we hope to see you again."

Matthew Bowman reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"Absolutely amazing, extremely friendly people, lovely place, can put absolutely nothing at fault. "

Kelly reviewed: Seaglass jewellery workshop at Sea & Solder, Dorset.

"I recently did the neckless workshop with jules, it was such a lovely day. jules is very patient and explaines everything very well, I came away with a lovely necklace. can't wait to do courses. "

Alison Durrant reviewed: Glassblowing Half Day - Private booking

"We had a wonderful morning with our attempt at glass blowing. Came away with 3 pieces each. Jacob put us at our ease . As we booked a private session we were able to have almost one to one tuition. Jacob knows his craft very well and equally very good and patient at teaching us the basic skills needed for us to successfully complete our pieces. Which we picked up the following morning. We are both very pleased with the results. We would certainly book again and highly recommend this to everyone. "

Deborah Halliday reviewed: Chicken wire sculpture workshop with Lynne Littler Sculpture

"Fantastic experience learning from a great teacher. I would recommend the chicken wire sculpture course, I thoroughly enjoyed the course and now have the confidence and knowledge to create my own wire sculptures "

Lynne Littler Sculpture responded:

"Thank you Deborah lovely to meet you- hope you have lots of fun making your creations "

Julia reviewed: Slate mosaic workshop at Jo Garden Art

"I went on Jo's course yesterday on my own and was made to feel very welcome. The day was well structured and great fun. I felt I'd made friends and came away with 2 lovely sculptures. I would thoroughly recommend any course with Jo."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Julia - it was a fun workshop and such a variety of slate wall sculptures made! If you wish to make a larger piece, you can on another one day workshop now you know the process. Jo x"

Malcolm Reeve reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"A great day, brought back memories from 50 years ago metal working at school. Would recommend to anyone, it's an amazing feeling carrying out something you have made yourself."

David Morgan reviewed: Introduction To Welding & Basic Fabrication

"Very enjoyable and informative course from Joe, covering safety basics, MMA, MIG and TIG welding. I took my own welder with me and learned how to set it up properly and how to run MMA, which I had never tried before. Altogether a great course. I would highly recommend. "

Alan reviewed: Lino printing landscapes

"Venue great for me......within walking distance! Lee was very helpful in guiding through the mysteries of lino-cut printing, and I was pleased with the results ( for a first attempt ) An enjoyable day that flew by."

Heather reviewed: Weaving: the journey begins

"Excellent teaching from a recognised expert with first rate equipment and materials! I can spin, but was wholly unfamiiar with looms and weaving and hoped to discover whether this was something I could do. The craft was clearly explained and demonstrated and I was able to explore all the techniques & try them out. I left with the knowledge I needed and access to reading and future advice. I would recommend this course to anyone considering weaving or new to it."

Jacqueline D reviewed: Stained glass leading for beginners

"I had a wonderful day on this stained glass leading course. I’m a complete beginner having never even cut glass before but Jamal is an excellent tutor and myself and the other two other people produced a beautiful piece of stained glass and we were all so proud. Jamal gave us a fascinating insight into the history of stained glass and its heritage in the Midlands. His journey is so interesting and inspiring and the incredible work he has produced is absolutely amazing. What a talent. I’ve always admired stained glass windows with awe and appreciation but, now having an insight to the work that goes into them and having experienced that it’s not as easy as you may think, I’ll definitely spend longer just standing and gazing at them. Thank you Jamal for a perfect day, and thank you to the other two people on this course with me who were delightful. I’ll treasure the memories of this experience and am proudly displaying my own piece of artwork 🌟💖🙏"

Stained Glassic responded:

"Dear Jacqueline, Thank you so much for your wonderful review! I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoyed the stained glass leading course and that you are proud of the beautiful piece you created. It was a pleasure guiding you through the process, and I'm glad my teaching and sharing of stained glass history added to your experience. Your kind words about my journey and work truly mean a lot. It’s great to know that you’ll now look at stained glass with even more admiration! It was a fantastic day with you and the others, and I’m so glad to hear that you'll treasure those memories. Thank you again for being part of the course, and I hope you continue to enjoy displaying your artwork! Best regards, Jamal"

Colin Jones reviewed: Welding with confidence

"Attended this course on 26th September 2024. Had a brilliant time, learnt loads with plenty of hands-on experience. I really feel much better equipped to use my welder. A real bonus was that Nigel is a very entertaining and interesting character. Thank you very much"

Joy Grieve reviewed: Two day (consecutive) stained glass starter course at North Norfolk Stained Glass

"I took this stained glass course last weekend and I enjoyed it very much. Paul is a patient teacher and his two day course has left me feeling well prepared to make my own stained glass items at home on my own. Each of us (students) came away with a stained glass piece that we had made ourselves from scratch. I'm now looking forward to returning to Paul to take his course in glass fusion."

Julian reviewed: Sword Making Workshop in Grassington

"An absolutely fantastic sword-forging experience for me and my partner. Richard was really friendly, and helped us where we needed help but also let us have a go at it where we wanted to. Be prepared for some muscle fatigue, my hands were shaking from the effort but it was so satisfying! I'm disabled and started flagging at the end and he was happy to help finish some last bits off for me, which I really appreciated. There were two other people doing separate projects as well at the same time and it was interesting to see what they made. In the end we got some fantastic photos and some even more fantastic swords out of it! They'll go pride of place on our wall! "

Dave Morley reviewed: Introduction to Leather Craft

"A truly fantastic experience, learning some many different skills and producing a belt and fly reel case that were unbelievable as a complete beginner to leather work. Bill’s knowledge and experience is exceptional, and he was an absolute pleasure to spend 2 amazing days with. This course provides you with all the skills and techniques needed to getting started in hand crafting leather. Would thoroughly recommend."

Bespoke Leather responded:

"Hi Dave, thanks for the great review, I enjoyed the course as well. Hopefully you'll carry on with the good work. The fishing reel pouch was the bees knees, if I knew more about fishing I would make them myself. Best Bill"

CHRIS reviewed: Round Basket Workshop in the Woods

"I have done a course with Suz Williams and it was amazing. She was very helpful teaching us step by step process making a beautiful finished basket. Skills we can use for future. Highly recommend you will have a sense of achievement when you finish and feel fulfilled. Don't hesitate doing this - please go for it. "

The Coppice Co. responded:

"Thank you for your lovely review Chris! It was great to have you along and be part of the day"