Latest reviews

Bethany reviewed: Glass Fusing Workshop, half day

"For my Mother’s birthday she wanted to do some do a craft course of some kind. I spotted this one and thought it would be so much nicer than going to a larger college based class where it can be just the two of us. I was right! Penny was so lovely and welcoming and had all the tea and coffee on the ready. She explained the methods of creating beautiful art pieces clearly and with only two of us it was great undivided attention. Whatever imaginative design we could think of she had what we needed and helped us produce it the best way! Could not recommend taking this course highly enough! As stated on here, if you’d rather do the “full day” which I’d definitely recommend then it was really quick and easy to contact and ask for a full day and it gets added on here at the agreed day for you to book. "

Through the Arch - Fused Glass responded:

"Thank you Bethany for your thoughtful review. It was a pleasure hosting you and your mum as part of her birthday and mothers day gift and you made it a very enjoyable day for me too. You are both very artistic and really challenged yourselves with your creations. Well done! I have your certificates ready for you on collection of your glass. Thank you again Penny"

Sarah and David reviewed: Garden Sculpture Course

"An absolutely awesome day! Billy is a fantastic teacher - patient, encouraging and very knowledgeable - and the day whizzed by. We blacksmithed in the morning making the separate elements of our plant support, poppy and trio of mushrooms and welded in the afternoon. We are so proud of what we made, and can't wait to come back! Thank you, Billy!"

Bill's Workshop responded:

"Hi Sarah, it was an absolute pleasure to spend the day with you and David, you both really excelled at the activity's and would be great to have you back in the forge in future! Take care, -Billy"

Lou reviewed: Weave a Willow Frame Basket

"We had a great day with Jane. Good location and good facilities onsite. The day was intense but satisfying leaving with a basket that just needed trimming. Good value for money as all materials supplied. Thank you"

Stanwick Lakes Art and Craft Courses responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave us a review. We are pleased you enjoyed the course and shall let the course tutor know. Best wishes, The Stanwick Lakes team."

Elisa Dodd reviewed: Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving

"What a lovely relaxing day and you lose yourself in weaving which is wonderful. Alice is a great teacher, kind and patient. She taught a variety of weave stitches and we all made beautiful weaves. Thank you Alice! "

Neville Harrison reviewed: Beginners spoon carving course

"A brilliant experience. I was a total beginner and learnt so much across the day. It was so fulfilling to produce a spoon. "

Kerry Riley reviewed: Glass bottle cutting for beginners - Sittingbourne

"Lovely afternoon with Claire and Janet in their custom workshop cutting glass bottles and transforming them into something new. From one single bottle I made an egg cup, and two different storm lanterns. Their expert tuition made cutting wine bottles easy. Refreshments supplied as well. Would definitely recommend and hope to join some of their other workshops. "

Fancy Tat responded:

"Hello Kerry, Thank you so much for your kind review. We very much enjoyed spending the afternoon with you and we are really pleased that you had a lovely time :) We look forward to seeing you again! Kind Regards Claire & Janet"

Susie reviewed: Fused glass light catchers workshop - Forest Row

"My sister, mum and I had a great afternoon 😀 Jayne was an informative and encouraging tutor. It was fantastic to find a craft that all of us including my 96 year old mum could enjoy and achieve great results. "

Karen reviewed: Introduction to Stained Glass Workshop

"Sarah was very informative. This day was a present from my daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Learning new skills in a very relaxed atmosphere. Thank you"

Hobgoblin Stained Glass responded:

"Thank you Karen, glad you enjoyed your present, was a great day all round. "

Mell reviewed: 2 day knife/axe making courses

"Bought this as a 21st birthday present for my boyfriend he absolutely loved it, so much so he wanted his own forge! Such an amazing time, we both learnt so much and Gary & Joss were lovely and very helpful. We had a great laugh and took home a beautiful knife. Will definitely be doing this again in the future! Thankyou so much :) Mell & Jack"

Fra reviewed: SAORI Weaving Discovery Session

"Excellent couple of hours. Targeted tuition plus lots of additional ideas. Worth saying if you are tall as a couple of looms have greater height."

Wayward Weaves responded:

"Thanks Fran. It was great to have you in the studio again :) So many creative ideas! Hope to see you again soon"

Sue reviewed: Landscapes in Wool - Painting with Fibres

"Everything covered well, looking forward to developing the skills learnt today. "

Mark Horsfall reviewed: A whole day woodturning tuition

"I honestly don’t think I could have had a better day listening and learning from Chris who gave compliments when I’d earned them (and is sadly missing from many courses) and constructive criticism when I didn’t quite get it. I had lots of technical queries for him and he explained everything so well - what a great mentor and teacher you are. Thanks so, so much. "

Chris Parker Woodturner responded:

"Wow Mark thanks, really glad you got so much from your tuition. Like I said on the day if you need any further information or assistance then please do give me a call . Best wishes. Chris Parker "

Michael K Davis reviewed: Beginner OR Intermediate Woodworking Full Day Course - Saturdays

"Ray Whitby is a brilliant teacher. Having no previous experience of joinery I picked up everything very quickly due to the great instruction. I can't wait to learn some more complex joints. "

Jacqui and Tim reviewed: Beginners spoon carving

"Excellent course, personable and professional Nick, Charlie and Emily. Superb in instruction and guiding of creating a spoon from a chunk of wood. Great introduction and will be going back to do the bowl making course once we have made some spoons at home. Many thanks for a wonderful day."

Gosman Spoon Co. responded:

"We’re really glad both of you enjoyed the day ! If you’d like help with anything or advice on tools please don’t hesitate to contact me."

Lynne reviewed: Willow Freestyle Workshop in The Cotswolds - Gloucestershire/Wiltshire/Oxfordshire Border

"Had a fabulous day, Zoe was so enthusiastic and encouraging. Highly recommend this workshop. "

Vicky Marks reviewed: Art clay silver

"We had the best day! Went with a friend and together we made earrings and a pendant. Lovely relaxed atmosphere and excellent tutoring. The only questions are when do we go back and what will we make next!! Have no hesitation in doing this workshop!!!"

Goldwrightsjewelleryschool responded:

"Thank for a lovely review it was such a great morning. You made such lovely jewellery. Kind regards Jade "

James Brook reviewed: One day blacksmithing course

"Had a really enjoyable day with Julian learning the craft of blacksmithing. Julian is a really nice person who has a wealth of knowledge and experience of the trade and was really accommodating and patient with a complete beginner like myself. There is plenty of choice of items to forge and I am really proud of the work that I have produced. A great day! Thank you! "

Julian Wadsworth - Artist Blacksmith responded:

"Hi James, Thank you for your review. I think the day went extremely well, especially as you have practical skills and a good eye for detail.Real pleasure to work with you in making your splendid forging, and I am sure you will get a buzz every time you use it! "

David Ogleby reviewed: Pen Making Course (1/2 day)

"A all-round excellent day !!! It began with a discussion about the range of pens I might choose to make, with samples of Derek’s work for me to handle as he explained the differences between the styles. He teased out my hopes for the day and my past experience. Although I had never used a wood turning lathe before, I felt I was being encouraged along to build up a picture of what I could realistically achieve during the day. By the time I entered the workshop I felt I had a clear idea of what I was setting out to do, and confident that I would be coached along the way to reach my goal. I was surprised to find that I was the only student on the course that day and that it would be one-to-one tuition, although a couple of students may be more usual. Derek demonstrated every step of the pen making process and talked me through alternative techniques for each step, explaining their relative merits (sometimes safety, other times quality of results or speed of work, personal preference, etc, etc) I was left feeling that not only did I know what I had to do at each step, but why I was doing it that way! When he handed the reins over to me, I was allowed to set up the equipment from scratch, sharpen cutting tools, etc. He watched me and coached at each step, so that I felt I was learning the whole task – I was not just a token witness in the workshop whilst the expert did the difficult bits. By the end of the day I felt that I had really made my own pen and, given the tools and material, I could make another. At the natural breaks in the day, such as when glue was drying, etc, Derek proved to be very sociable, and unstintingly generous in sharing his knowledge and expertise, not only in the field of pen making, but it the wonderful tools and materials that abounded in his Aladdin’s cave of a workshop. The end of the day came far too swiftly, but I left feeling enriched in practical, re-usable skills. Thank you, Derek for a memorable day. David Ogleby : Mastering Pen Making, 8 March 2024. "

Assynt Pens responded:

"Thank you for your kind words David. I’m delighted you left not only with a fabulous fountain pen, but increased knowledge and awareness of the process. I really feel the latter is more important than the former. A great day all round!"

Neezy Wags reviewed: Modern Punch Needle workshop

"Very enjoyable and informative half day course. Tutor Caroline was very clear in her instructions and on hand for individual help. This is helped by having small groups. It was a very positive experience and I have continued with the activity using the materials that I purchased. "

Sara reviewed: An Introduction to Nuno Felting - Sampling Day

"Brilliant day with a knowledgeable and very friendly, supportive tutor. Really recommend the course."

Emma Jackson (Silversoles - Felted Textiles) responded:

"Great to hear you enjoyed the workshop."

Helen reviewed: An Introduction to Nuno Felting - Sampling Day

"Brilliant, thank you. Lovely lunch, amazing space and you have a lovely teaching style. Thank you, learnt loads!"

Emma Jackson (Silversoles - Felted Textiles) responded:

"Pleased you enjoyed the experience, hope you have fun experimenting further with the techniques."

Natalie reviewed: An Introduction to Nuno Felting - Sampling Day

"Excellent intro to nuno felting, far more energetic than I anticipated. I love the samples I have come away with."

Emma Jackson (Silversoles - Felted Textiles) responded:

"Your samples were great - great news you had fun & a workout!"

Sara reviewed: An Introduction to Nuno Felting - Sampling Day

" A fantastic day which has shown the possibilities of Nuno Felting - now need to get familiar with all the basics and look at moving on to more advanced techniques."

Emma Jackson (Silversoles - Felted Textiles) responded:

"Delighted you enjoyed the day, I hope you have fun experimenting further with the techniques - do share what you develop, love to see it."

AndyG reviewed: Powering an off-grid solar shed

"Love this guy, his name is Bertie which is a great name in itself. He's very knowledgeable and hands on. Gave us all the theory in the morning and then practicals for the rest. This course is about challenging you to think about solar energy and its practical uses around the home. If you're like me and reaching a splendidly senior age nearing retirement, do this course. You will learn a lot and it will provide you with years of some great projects to try out that won't cost you thousands either. Thoroughly recommended!"

Sandie reviewed: One day Mosaic Workshop with Ruth Wilkinson

"Would really recommend this course. Ruth is extremely helpful and you can achieve really good results in just this short time. I had no experience in this field and with Ruth's advice, modelling and help, managed to accomplish a finished mosaic which, if I say so myself, is brilliant!"

Ruth Wilkinson Mosaics responded:

"Ah it is absolutely brilliant!!! And thank you so much for the lovely review 🥰 x "