Latest reviews

Ros Kelson reviewed: One day silver jewellery making in Worcestershire.

"I spent a marvellous few hours (it was a birthday treat) with my sister and niece making jewellery under the expert guidance of Jonathan. The location was perfect - peaceful, quirky, inspiring and fun (I want a narrow boat now!), and Jonathan was an excellent teacher - very good at explaining and showing us how to do things and very patient. (He also makes excellent coffee!). We started off making chains and charms with copper to get the feel of jewellery making and getting to understand the processes involved. After a break for coffee and cake we set about making silver bangles and it was great fun. We are all delighted with what we produced - it is very satisfying to make your own piece of jewellery. I would highly recommend this course."

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Dear Ros, many thanks for your kind words! I think we all had a good day. I was very impressed with your texturing method and hope to use it myself in the future - inspired by the footprints of the local wildlife? Good luck with your future jewellery making Jonathan"

Jennifer Lowe reviewed: Introduction to silver jewellery making workshop with Diane Lee

"Had a great day, learnt loads, really good introduction to the basics, nice atmosphere, lovely and helpful tutor. Going back to a guided workshop session very soon!"

DianeLeeSilver responded:

"Thank you Jennifer not only for your kind review, but also for your company on the day. I'm so glad you had a good time & look forward to seeing you in a supported benchtime session. I'm looking to put on just a few eventing sessions during the Summer. Thank you again Diane"

Pam Hansford reviewed: Needle felting - woodland creature or bird, or other small animal: (beginners+)

"A really enjoyable course. Sally is an excellent teacher and has a great sense of humour and is very patient. We all made a mouse ? I thoroughly recommend this course."

Craft Workshops responded:

"Thank you for coming to the course - it was a productive and friendly group. Look forward to seeing you on some other courses soon :)"

KC Constantine reviewed: Oak stool making experience - rustic carpentry & green wood work

"First course I got for my partner was the stool making, based on my partners experience and the excellent hand crafted stool he produced and the whole experience of being taught by a true craftsmen who is a mind of information and and is of a wonderful disposition, I decided to purchase the Bench making day for my adult son who has never put his hand to this sort of thing before,working as a manager and with a very busy home life with three children, time to just lose yourself in this craft for a few hours was the best experience of relaxation albeit physical but totally rewarding work to produce the most amazing Bench which is pride of place in my sons garden waiting to have its very own area to sit proudly in. Cannot praise Ian enough for the way he is in his patient and informative teaching manner, my son thoroughly enjoyed his experience (especially as I'd arranged it as a surprise for them both to be working on something together) and he was amazed at how it took him away from the rat race for two minutes and has learned a valuable pratical new skill and is already thinking of what he could do next. In short, give this course a try, you wont regret it and you'll have a life long memory of a wonderful day making something in the traditional way with excellent tutelage and be very proud of your work. Truly worth every penny."

Alyson Burton reviewed: Introductory pottery wheel throwing taster sessions

"Excellent course and, as a complete novice, I learnt so much. A really enjoyable, relaxed day with fabulous tuition. Lorraine made us very welcome and was a fantastic teacher, helping us all achieve lovely end products. There were enough wheels for us all to use them at the same time and a very generous allowance of clay. I can’t wait to do another session and plan to return again soon."

Chris jackson reviewed: Blacksmithing for Beginners - Full Day Forging for One

"I had a fantastic day with chris. Chris was able to suit my days lesson to my own skill set, i made a pair of tongs which was a lot of work and chris taught me a lot of tips and tricks and is very knowledgeable about his craft. I will definitely be booking another class. Thanks chris your a badass!!"

Laura Johnson reviewed: Advanced Sewing Machine Skills with St Ives Adult Learning

"This was one of the most useful courses i've ever been on. We went back to basics learning about different needles, threads and feet for our sewing machines and their different uses. We had enough time to practice what we were taught and experiment with everything the tutor brought with her. I will definitely be looking out for more courses by Pamela again."

Adult and Community Learning responded:

"Thank you for your kind review, Laura, we are glad that you enjoy Pamela's courses and can confirm that we will have a couple of new ones available in our new programme - St Ives Adult Learning"

Jenny reviewed: Cotton Scarf Painting

"Fantastic course! Charlotte is amazing, really friendly and helpful. We learnt lots and came away with a lovely new scarf and a new passion! Well worth doing and great value!"

Su Ticehurst reviewed: A fabulous introduction to fused glass - one day course

"Fantastic way to spend a day. Tuition was clear but not dictatorial. The atmosphere was friendly and supportive. And you pick up your creative results and just want to go and do it again."

Mark Hughes reviewed: Introduction to Spoon Carving

"Thank you Chris for an unforgettable day... Chris has a relaxed but informative approach to the day. With lots of axe and knife work during the day, Chris would ensure that we had breaks not only to rest our tired hands and arms but also to enjoy being outdoors. With the frontier stove keeping the water hot for tea and great company we all chatted, chopped and whittled our way to making our first amazing spoon! Chris is exceptionally knowledgeable and always happy to answer any questions. With many years experience he is a wealth of information. Must also mention that the lunch of homemade vegetable soup, chunky bread, cheese and grapes was fantastic and that the cake for our afternoon tea was delicious. These little touches change the day from a great day to a fantastic day. Thank you to Chris and him Mum for a very memorable day."

Graeme Reeves reviewed: Wood turning courses in the Midlands

"Many thanks to Mark for a fantastic day's tuition. Mark's patience and enthusiasm for woodturning make him a perfect teacher. Plenty of tea and coffee throughout the day and Mark's teaching abilities are second to none. Mark takes his time to ensure that you are fully comfortable with the course material, rather than rushing through to meet a pre-determined finish time. At the end of the day I was able to take home my very first bowl, plenty of reference material and a fervent desire to carry on turning as a hobby. Since the course, Mark has been more than happy to answer any questions I have regarding technique and equipment. He clearly has a passion for helping others to learn and this shows in his tuition."

Janet Harris reviewed: Introduction to candle-making as a business

"Hi Jo Well where to start, I thought it would be so difficult to make candles, but from the start you made me comfortable & confidante in the process & safety of candle making. It was such an enjoyable course it was a shame to end, you covered so much in the time allocated from wax melts to 3 wick candles, decoratios, fragrances that were so amazing & so many to choose from, even more so what we made we took home. Brilliant. So all I can say is anyone thinking of doing your course don't hesitate. Good luck for the future & thank you again for a awesome day, would love to do another course & will recommend you. Jan x"

The White Candle Company responded:

"Hi Jan, oooh, I've only just seen this. Thank you for such a lovely review and I'm so glad you had fun. Hope you've managed to light your candles and have started to enjoy them. Do remember to pop by if you're ever passing! Jo xx"

Elaine reviewed: Kate Morrell willow sculpture courses

"My friend and I had a brilliant day with Kate. There were 6 of us in total and all got on really well with plenty of humour. Kate is a brilliant teacher who asks what we'd like to make and what would be realistic! She demonstrated everything as many times as needed. We all were going at our own pace, supplied with plenty of drinks. Dave provided lunch which was lovely and attention paid to allergies. Whilst we sat eating lunch Kate went round to each piece of work to tidy up/strengthen so when we went back to our piece we could carry on knowing that it would be ok. Kate's garden is gorgeous with her cats, dog and hens around. We all left amazed at our achievements and hooked on a new hobby thanks to such a great teacher who instilled her love of the craft to us. Well worth every penny! Thanks Kate and Dave"

Jenny Bates reviewed: Dry stone walling course Lancashire/Yorkshire/Manchester/Leeds/Sheffield/North West

"Fantastic! I really enjoyed the course, even more than expected. The whole process was mindful and I found it therapeutic as well as having the satisfaction of building a wall! It ticked all the boxes for me in terms of being outdoors, being active, connecting with others and taking notice."

James reviewed: Skills - Ultimate power tools

"David put together a bespoke course for me to learn more about routing and wood turning to help me product designs. The first thing you will notice is David has the best workshop you've ever seen and if a tool isn't there it's not needed. He helped me with what I need to know and then a ton of other things I didn't know i needed to know. Not only can I now make the products I want, I can also make them quickly which i could never have done myself. I didn't mention this but I would happily paid much more fo his time."

Patricia Becquereau reviewed: Fabric printing & lampshade making workshop

"We had an amazing time making our lampshade Ria is a great teacher and wonderful person we left the course happy and with a great lampshade"

Ruth Coote / June Barber reviewed: Try Enamel workshop - suitable for all abilities

"My Mum and I had an enjoyable morning with Theresa. I had, a few months ago, made some dragonfly earrings , and today I made a pendant to compliment them, and my Mum made a beautiful tree vein design necklace. We will definitely go to another workshop in the future. Highly recommended."

Julie Johnson reviewed: Crafts in the Valley - Beginners glass fusing workshops in Hebden Bridge, West Yorkshire

"I had a lovely day creating fused glass star, slump dish, coaster and earrings. Cant believe we achieved so much in one day. Lovely people and excellent instruction from Melanie hope to go to the next level workshop. Cant wait to collect my creations. Thank you all for a great day in the workshop. Julie J"

Maria reviewed: Country House Crafting Retreats in rural Hertfordshire

"A pleasant way to spend 48 hours with like minded people in a room with lots of space to scrapbook The room I stayed in was close to the main craft room and was comfortable & clean with its own bathroom. The food was excellent with plenty of it The shop was handy and had lots of goodies to buy The house was lovely and the grounds were beautiful and the whole weekend was amazing. Thank you"

Debbie/Shirley/Sam reviewed: Introduction to fused glass (1 day) in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

"Fantastic course - such fun, thoroughly recommend it to others!!! Martin is so knowledgeable, and the course was well resourced and structured to introduce us to many different techniques you can use in fused glass artwork - each new skill building on the previous one. It was challenging and satisfying all rolled into one We all came away with multiple glass sun catchers, glass coasters, encapsulated fused glass and a glass bowl which was great value for money. Thank you Martin - we are all now addicted!"

Linda Byrne reviewed: Kate Morrell willow sculpture courses

"Had a fantastic day with Kate today, in her lovely garden. Have never tried willow weaving before, but Kate was a brilliant teacher and taught with calmness and patience as we tried to grasp the basics!! There were 6 of us today, and we all went home having made our first willow sculptures - herons, a chicken and even a deer. The atmosphere was brilliant, we all had a good laugh. Excellent lunch and refreshments provided, as well as cakes. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, and will definately be returning to make something different."

DAVID reviewed: Mouldmaking for Slipcasting with Ed Bentley

"Good course. Puts you on the right path with plenty of demos, plenty of humour, lots of hands on experience. Very relaxed atmosphere allowing your confidence to grow."

Potclays Ltd. responded:

"Many thanks for your review, David! Look forward to seeing you again at Potclays soon."

Libby Halford reviewed: Table Loom Weaving Workshop - Dobby & Rose

"Rebecca was a wonderful coach being calm and very knowledgeable. I have been interested in weaving for years but never tried it and was delighted with the outcome. I will certainly explore this amazing craft further."

Veronica Grindley reviewed: One day silver jewellery making in Worcestershire.

"My sister, my daughter and myself spent a wonderful day last Sunday on the silver jewellery boat (which is a great venue!). Jonathan was very patient and an excellent teacher. I really enjoyed learning how to make copper chains, links and charms before making a silver bangle (which I'm wearing as I type). We tried out several different skills and it was really interesting to understand the different processes that are gone through to get to the completed bangle. The boat was moored in a pretty spot with a walk through trees and a wildflower meadow to reach it. We sat on the bank to eat our picnic and watched other boats, cyclists and walkers go past through the day. At one point a family of swans came visiting (four very young cygnets) and the adults tapped on the window. I went away with a smile on my face and am very pleased with what I managed to produce. I would really recommend a day out on the silver jewellery boat. Many thanks Jonathan!"

Salt Way Silver responded:

"Dear Veronica, thank you for your very kind and thoughtful words! It was a great day and you may be pleased to hear the cygnets are still thriving and whizzing about. I'm very pleased you are enjoying the jewellery and hope you might go on to make some more. Great to meet you and your family. Jonathan"

Suzanne reviewed: Furniture Painting Workshop in the Cotswolds

"Warm welcome with a coffee and cake. Discussed what my expectations of the day were. Everything went at my pace and the course was very relaxed. I never felt like I was doing it wrong as creativity is what you make it. Lunch was brilliant my absolute favourite thank you, which allowed the paint to dry on my work. Then we made the finishing touches which totally transformed the piece of furniture. I was astounded and didn’t think it would work but it looks brilliant thank you so much for your guidance and knowledge. I will definitely keep in touch. And the day was nicely rounded off with a freshly made scone with cream! It was a surprise birthday treat for me and I loved every minute of it thank you"