Latest reviews

Sally reviewed: Fused glass introduction 1/2 day at Kingcot, Worcestershire

"Thank you so much for a really enjoyable morning learning a new craft ... it was quite absorbing & really fun and to our surprise both produced more than we expected - athough we haven't seen the finished pieces yet! The success of the experience was all due to Vicky... her care & attention teaching us the basic skills and then taking us through every step, helping to make sure we realised our ideas and learned new things along the way. I suspect we may be back for another go sometime ..."

Kingcot Gallery responded:

"Dear Sally, thank you for your kind words, they are appreciated - and making me blush...... It's always good to make pieces that have a bit of a personal thought behind them, it gives us something to focus on! All the best Vicky"

Mandy Dietsch reviewed: Crafty Basketry's Willow Basket Making for Beginners/Improvers - Day Course at Cowshed Workshop, Tenterden, Kent

"A friend and I took part in this course last week and it was a thoroughly enjoyable day from start to finish. Marianne was a great tutor, explaining all about the history of basket making and the tools and materials involved. She was extremely patient even when I asked her to show me something for the umpteenth time! It was a very therapeutic day, concentrating on nothing but learning a new skill in beautiful surroundings was a real tonic. And at the end of it I went home with a lovely basket that I'll be proud to show off. Oh - and the cake provided was delicious! Thank you Marianne for a great experience "

Crafty Basketry responded:

"Thank you so much for your review, Mandy! So chuffed with it! What a surprise to see you again, after all those years. You're still great company and so is your friend. I thought you both picked up the techniques so easily; you were both a pleasure to work with, so I hope to see you again very soon. All the very best for now. Marianne"

Ian Stewart. reviewed: Half day French polishing Workshop

"Excellent one to one days course spent with Rob at his old polishing shop. Very hands on and he was great company. He dispelled many of the myths surrounding french polishing and I went away with a real enthusiasm to put the skills he taught me into practice."

The Old Polishing Shop responded:

"Thanks Ian, it was a pleasure to spend the day with you and learn about bee keeping also, thanks so much for the honey, all the very best, speak soon Rob "

Amy Chapman reviewed: Introduction to candle making workshop

"I had a lovely time at the Introduction to candle making course hosted by Pauline. It was extremely well organised. I learnt lots about candle making and all the different types of wax and wicks there are. There’s much more to making candles than you realise! Pauline made it a really fun experience and the three hours went very fast. Lovely cake and light refreshments provided. Pauline really had thought of and covered everything and I left inspired to start making some of my own candles at home. Highly recommend this course x"

Bonita Candles responded:

"I'm so glad you had a nice time Amy. Keep on candle making. xxxx"

Val Thorman reviewed: 5 hour Silver Jewellery Workshop

"I took the 5 hour silver workshop with Richard a couple of days ago and came home with a ring to be proud of! Richard guided me expertly and patiently through the basics and then fashioned a small icon in gold to be soldered onto the ring . I can’t thank him enough for this - the completed ring was exactly as I’d hoped. It was so interesting to experience the process and I felt very at ease the whole day . Definitely recommend 🙂"

Richard Whitelegg Jewellery responded:

"Many thanks Val, it was a pleasure "

Judith Sausby reviewed: Stitching With: Needlelace Sampler

"Had a lovely day on this course. Excellent teaching. "

Michele Phillips reviewed: From fleece to fibre 2-day spinning workshop

"This is a really interesting and hands on course. Elaine is very knowledgeable but is also able to communicate it to those starting from scratch. Most enjoyable and would highly recommend it ."

Cartmel Handspun Spinning School responded:

"Thanks Michele I'm so pleased you enjoyed your course."

Andrew reviewed: Build your own fire pit / barbecue from recycled materials. A one day course in metal work skills for beginners.

"A really lovely day spent making a fire pit. Wonderful relaxed atmosphere, friendly and instructive. Definitely tecommend."

Black Paw upcycle project responded:

"Thanks, Andrew I had fun too Scott"

Lynn Gregory reviewed: Japanese style chopping boards workshop - Marlborough

"Fantastic, both Pete and Jacqui were so patient and helpful. I came home with a chopping board for me. I thought the Japanese board was lovely but slightly too small for English cooking. I will use mine on my boat all the time. I will be going back for more courses. I am actually choosing now, thank you for a wonderful day."

Jan Siddall reviewed: Fused Glass Tealight Holder Workshop

"What a most enjoyable way to spend Sunday morning. Great teacher, fun course"

Ally Glass Studio responded:

"Oh thank you so pleased you enjoyed the workshop x"

Sarah Crothers reviewed: Beginner's Candle Making Private Workshop - Marlow, Buckinghamshire

"Myself and my daughter did this course. A very enjoyable morning and we learned lots. Sarah is really easy going and enthusiastic. We came away happy with our hand made creations and knowledge to try at home. Thanks Sarah ."

Candle by Events responded:

"Thank you Sarah, really pleased you both enjoyed the workshop."

Will & Pauline Wallace reviewed: Resin art course for beginners

"We really enjoyed our beginners Resin course. Neither of us had used the medium before. Norman imparted a great deal of knowledge in a way that was both easy to understand and encouraging. Very thoughtful and a pleasure to learn from. A thoroughly enjoyable experience. We look forward to booking some more time with Norman to work on another project. Thank you!"

Naomi reviewed: Lantern Making with Fused Glass

"My daughter and I had a fabulous morning making lanterns. Wendy is a kind and knowledgeable host and made us feel very welcome "

Mina Crisp reviewed: Stained glass taster day in Worcestershire

"A great day for both my husband and I with Vicky, Vic (who is never wrong!) and Neil. We managed to produced a lovely piece each. Thank you to the hosts for lunch, coffee, laughter and skill. We will be back for more. "

Kingcot Gallery responded:

"Dear Mina, many thanks for your kind words, really appreciate them. The pieces you both did were great and showed how each technique is similar - but different - for lead and copper. It would be lovely to see you gain and develop things further. All the best Vicky "

Kim reviewed: Functional ware - Pottery hand building class

"This was a very nice workshop. I enjoyed it very much. I do recommend it."

Lisa Heller reviewed: Stained glass weekly classes in Sheffield (South Yorkshire)

"I have had the joy and privilege of another year exploring the possibilities of what to create in stained glass. Martin is as ever, patient, friendly and encouraging and nothing is too much trouble for him. I am looking forward to another term and creating something new. "

Martin McAssey Glass responded:

"Thank you for another lovely review."

Melanie Rose reviewed: Lino cutting for Beginners and Rusty Printmakers

"I have recently done a lino printing course with Alison and Liz with my daughter. We had a great day, learnt a lot and came away with very nice lino prints. I would highly recommend it."

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Dear Melanie, Thank you for your feedback, it was great to work with you both. You both produced some lovely work using this process and hopefully it has inspired you to continue exploring it at home . All the best Alison"

Julia M reviewed: Create with a Gel Printing Plate - Mono Printing Without a Press

"Great course - the second I have done with Alison and Liz. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but there is plenty of scope for exploring different techniques with completely differing results. On the day of the course you are introduced to several different techniques - with lots of experimenting as a result. Looking forward to having another go and trying to refine the process - however, the technique itself lends itself to happy accidents and an open mind about results!"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Julia, It was great to work with you again and thank you for your feedback. Gel plate is such an exciting process, you never know quite what you are going to get, as you say lots of happy accidents! Enjoy exploring and experimenting! Best wishes Alison"

Lydia reviewed: Crochet workshops in Leeds City Centre

"Ann was friendly, helpful and patient, it was a great introduction to crochet. Thank you Ann!"

Leeds Central Faith and Light responded:

"Thank you for your review. I'm glad you enjoyed your workshop and found it helpful. Kind regards Ann"

Rachel reviewed: Stained glass weekly classes in Sheffield (South Yorkshire)

"I have completed Martin’s Tiffany and leaded glass course - I love it and hooked. Martin is an excellent and encouraging teacher. Initially you make two small sample pieces one in Tiffany then leaded, then you can start creating your own. I have also done a one day flower making course with Kate. She is also fantastic. Everyone created a gorgeous bouquet of forever glass flowers. I find working in this space very therapeutic and meditative. I’m also meeting some lovely people along the way. I would absolutely recommend this as an activity. "

Martin McAssey Glass responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review, I look forward to seeing you both again next term."

Jan Dutson reviewed: Lino cutting for Beginners and Rusty Printmakers

"I am a complete beginner and this course provided an excellent introduction to Lino cutting and printing. Liz explained everything very clearly and was extremely patient. The pace of the course was just right - moving onto each stage as we were ready and allowing plenty of time. I learned a lot and produced some nice prints. The atmosphere at The Long Barn was calm and friendly - and what a lovely setting. Alison was welcoming and always on hand to help, advise and provide refreshments. All in all I enjoyed the day very much. Thank you"

Blooming Designs - Art in the Barn responded:

"Hi Jan, Good to hear from you and thank you for taking the time to let us know about your day with us - it was lovely to meet and work with you. You made excellent progress throughout the day and will be ready to tackle your next prints. More wrens? Happy cutting and printing. Best wishes Alison Butler"

Rebecca Woods reviewed: Quilt in a Day, one-to-one course with Amanda Jane Ogden

"This was such a great introduction to quilting. All the basics covered in one really enjoyable (and well planned) day and a lovely little quilt to take home too. Amanda is so knowledgeable about the subject and was so warm and welcoming. She asked for preferences and selected fabrics for my quilt so thoughtfully, based on my responses. I thoroughly recommend. "

Amanda Jane Textiles responded:

"Dear Rebecca, thank you for your review. I am so pleased to have helped you start your quilting journey - I am sure there are many more quilts to come! Amanda"

Tena reviewed: Rag Rug Full Day Workshop - Bristol

"100% recommendation.Elspeth is a very friendly and professional teacher. I am a novice to rag rugging, and she explained three different techniques so clearly that I had no difficulties at all. She was giving us tonnes of hints and tricks from her experiences and answering all my questions before I could even ask them. The equipment she offers is of the highest quality, and we were invited to take as much fabric as we wanted, so I was able to finish a whole rug within 10 days after the workshop. The atmosphere during the workshop was great. I would like her to do another workshop about weaving and braiding. I bought her second book, and I like it. "

Ragged Life responded:

"Oh thank you Tena for the lovely review, we really appreciate it :-) You were a pleasure to teach."

Tena reviewed: Lino printing landscapes

"100% recommendation. Lee is a very friendly and professional teacher. We were only four students, and Lee gave us all his attention nonstop. He is a great artist himself, and the studio was large and very inspiring, fully equipped with all sorts of prints, presses, and other artists media. All four of us managed to print fabulous prints, and the tools and materials provided were of the highest quality. The whole experience was intense, humorous and creative. "

Cynthia and Andy Leggat reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs woodturning workshop

"My husband and I had a very enjoyable day refreshing our wood turning skills and proudly coming home with a practice eggcup each and a final one too. My husband had accidentally broken two china eggcups a few days before so we were very pleased to have made replacements. Simon was helpful and supportive and we enjoyed our lunch and the environment too."

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

"Hi Andy & Cyn, So glad you enjoyed the session and look forward to seeing you again soon. — Simon"