Latest reviews

Richard reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"This course was everything I had hoped for and more. The tutors, Gav and Tom, were excellent instructors with a deep understanding of the craft, the various tools and getting the best out of all the students. The whole weekend was conducted in a relaxed, friendly and patient manner. Whether you are a seasoned woodworker or an absolute novice, you will love this course and be unbelievably proud of the English longbow you make. I cannot recommend this course, or the organisation, highly enough. Thanks guys."

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Amazing thank you so much and glad you enjoyed the weekend. Let us know if you ever need any follow up Pam "

Clare Johnson reviewed: Silver clay 2 day course for beginners - Lori Ridgway

"What an incredible two days! Lori was absolutely amazing—so patient and supportive, letting me work at my own pace. I was amazed at how many new skills I picked up during the course—I ended up making five different pieces! I learned how to set stones, roll a ‘worm’, polish metal, and even use a kiln and blowtorch. The two days flew by far too quickly, and since then, I’ve definitely caught the jewellery-making bug! I can’t wait to dive in with my own kit. Huge thanks to Lori (and to Bluey the budgie for keeping us company!)."

LR Silver Jewellery responded:

"Thank you for such a lovely review. I’m glad you’ve caught the bug and can’t wait to see what you make. "

Deborah reviewed: Solitaire Ring Bezel Setting Class

"Have recently attended the solitaire ring course. I really enjoyed the course and now have a lovely ring.The tutor was lovely and knowledgeable. I would definitely recommend the course and would love to go back for another ."

Andi reviewed: Full day Learn How To Upcycle Furniture Painting Workshop

"Thoroughly enjoyed the course and learned a lot during the day. I even came away with a finished up-cycled coffee table! So pleased they keep groups to a maximum of 5 making it a really relaxed and pleasant environment to learn and create. Mel and Paul were very engaging and supportive throughout the day. And there's a fabulous cafe next door."

Redeemed Decor responded:

"Hi Andi, Thank you so much for your lovely feedback! We're so pleased to hear how much you enjoyed the day. We always aim to keep the workshops relaxed and personal, so it’s great to know the small group size made a difference. It was an absolute pleasure having you with us and we're so proud of what you achieved. 👏🏻 Hope to see you again soon, for another creative workshop — and yes, the café next door is a real treat! 😊 Many thanks Mel & Paul "

Yasser reviewed: Spoon Carving with Touchwood Glasgow

" We booked this for a 7 person stag do and had an excellent time doing a one day workshop with Robert. Most of us were new to woodcarving and it was a great introduction to the craft as well as how to use the axes and knives safely and usefully. There's lots of freedom in what you can make, as long as it's doable in the time given, we each made either a large spoon, butter knife, or hammer. Robert is very helpful and supportive and made the entire experience very enjoyable. Highly recommend working in the outdoor space in Govan if the weather permits. "

Frances Ross reviewed: Plaster mould making for slip cast ceramics with Ed Bentley

"I spent 3 days with Ed in his studio learning how to make a plaster model and mould. To make the model, we used the lathe, the whirler and sledging - including making the template to sledge on and the sledging tool. All of this was new to me and Ed explained and demonstrated everything in detail. I came away with a fantastic model and mould, and head full of knowledge and ideas. Ed is a patient, generous and thorough teacher and I highly recommend him - if you want to learn any aspect of working with moulds, he's the best! "

Christine Henderson reviewed: Rag Rug Workshop - Full Day - York

"Having absolutely no experience of rag rugging, I absolutely loved this course. It was easy to grasp and I really enjoyed picking out the coloured bags in all the different textures. You had a choice of making a small rug, tote bag, flowers, a garland or cushion cover. I am completely "hooked"."

Ragged Life Ltd responded:

"Thank you Christine, we're so glad it 'hooked' you :-) You were a pleasure to teach."

Jane Green reviewed: Experimental Weaving

"The Craft Course in Experimental Weaving was a lovely memorable experience. Under Sarah's gentle guidance the class straight away became absorbed in building up, row by row, their own piece of weaving from an enormous array of different yarns, many of them made from natural fibres and dyes. I really enjoyed learning a new skill and also experiencing the colours and textures I chose for my piece - which is now hanging prominently on the kitchen wall! "

Starflower Arts responded:

"I'm so glad you enjoyed the Experimental Weaving day Jane. It was great to have you there. Thank you for your lovely review and its wonderful that your weaving is now hanging up in your kitchen!"

Michelle reviewed: Ceramic Workshop: Make a Japanese Kurinuki Yunomi Cup

"We thoroughly enjoyed this course making kurinuki yunomi cups. Lucy was an excellent teacher and very patient. Great cakes too! We are feeling very inspired by this course."

Gayle reviewed: Beginners Woodturning

"Never previously tried woodturning but this Christmas present was an excellent excuse to try something new. Roger is a super teacher and in five hours I’d carved, sanded and polished myself a lovely wooden bowl out of a square block of ash. Great fun learning a new craft with expert guidance all the way. "

Abi reviewed: Mosaic/chat/create! with award winning mosaicist Emma Abel

"I had such a wonderful day of mosaic making with Emma. She gave clear instructions and was happy to answer my (many!) questions. She had every colour tile imaginable and I can't wait to do more mosaic making in the future!"

abelmosaics responded:

"Thank you Abi, your name sign was very neat with great colours!"

Kirsty reviewed: Willow Weaving for beginners

"Throughly enjoyed thus course. It was a little cold as it was outside and I did not realise so wear layers just in case for the weather. I was surprised to make a dragon fly in the morning and a sweet pea obelisk in the afternoon. I would recommend the teacher we had. Thanks Gina "

Kim reviewed: Needle felt workshop

"Really enjoyed learning the art of needle felting. Yvonne was so helpful and motivating. Very talented lady to help me felt a piglet - he is so cute. Lovely cakes too."

Needle Felt Art responded:

"It was a pleasure Kim, you did an amazing job as a complete beginner, such a cute felt piggy. I hope you are inspired to keep felting. Yvonne. "

Tanya reviewed: Whittling Workshop

"An extremely well taught course, totally immersive in an idyllic setting a perfect way of getting away from stresses of work. Never thought I would be able to create a wooden spoon in 1/2 a day."

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Tanya, thanks for the lovely review! Hope to see you at Manor Wood again. Matt"

Menna Angharad reviewed: Basket making for beginners using traditional willow basketry techniques

"Three of us came on the day course, it was amazing! Becky and Johnny are brilliant, friendly and inspiring teachers; it was a really enjoyable day and we were all thrilled to take home our beautiful foraging baskets. The optional lunch was super and catered for vegans and vegetarians. I definitely recommend this course for anyone keen to learn about basketry. "

Annie de Lacy reviewed: Greenwood carving at Sallerton Wood

"Thank you so much Andy for your patience and excellent guidance making this course so enjoyable .. to both you and Jane for the filling and tasty lunches . A magical setting and a super group of people. A wonderful experience. "

Sallerton Wood responded:

"Thanks for your enthusiastic review, Annie. We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed the course iself, it's setting, and the company of the other participants on the course. Thanks also for your kind words about the lunches provided. We hope to see you back at Sallerton Wood for another course one day. "

Katharine Butterworth reviewed: Greenwood carving at Sallerton Wood

"Learning under a master craftsman in an idyllic setting - what's not to love. "

Sallerton Wood responded:

"Thanks, Katherine, for your kind review, and we're pleased to hear that you enjoyed the course and the setting in which it took place. Thanks also for booking on our Shave-horse making course in June, and we look forward to seeing you again then. "

Jael reviewed: Embroidery for beginners

"A timeless craft guided by a passionate tutor. A skill I will happily hone for years to come. "

Heritage Embroidery responded:

"Thank you for your review Jael, I’m so happy I have inspired you to carry on with this lovely craft."

Jo reviewed: Box making weekend in Cumbria

"Had a fantastic weekend doing this course. Mark is so knowledgeable and really patient. All of us left with boxes that we were so chuffed with. I would highly recommend it. A great course in a beautiful place. "

Alex reviewed: English longbow making weekend in the heart of Nailsworth Gloucestershire

"Excellent course, Gavin and Tom were fantastic instructors, patient, knowledgeable and friendly, they made the course not just about walking away with a bow, but a genuinely wonderful and enjoyable experience. I’m obsessed with the stunning bow I produced under their watchful eye, and can’t wait to try it out. Would recommend this course to anyone wanting to try their hand at making a bow, from complete novice woodworker to seasoned archer and bowyer alike. The town it’s in is also a lovely place to watch the world go by over lunch. Brilliant, thanks again! "

Nailsworth Community Workshop responded:

"Amazing thank you so much and glad you enjoyed the weekend. Let us know if you ever need any follow up Pam"

Toby reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"We had an excellent day in a gorgeous setting and left feeling confident enough to carve at home. Mark’s teaching style is excellent and gave everyone the confidence, techniques and knowledge needed to produce lovely spoons. The woodland setting and delicious lunch all make this a great experience. Good for beginners or those with a little more experience. "

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Toby Thank you for joining us and for taking time to share your experience here. Glad you enjoyed the day. Keep making! All the best Mark and Cristina"

Susan Martin reviewed: Sustainable Botanical Dyeing - A talk with Siân Lester

"Sian gave a very inspiring talk. It was good to hear about all the different aspects of her work and the philosophy, experiences, and collaborations with others which all contribute to her thinking. She brought a lovely selection of natural dyed samples for us to look at too. Many thanks to her for sharing."

Helen reviewed: Silver Metal Clay beginners class

"I did the beginners course on the 4th May. What a fantastic half-day. Ana is a brilliant teacher and so enthusiastic about her art and sharing her experiences. I had not worked with silver clay before, but came away with two beautiful pendants and a wealth of knowledge. The workshop area is purpose-built for teaching and is comfortable. It was incredible to see how clay turns into silver, using relatively simple techniques you can then do at home. I will definitely be going back for more sessions, I would highly recommend you give it a go too. "

A CAT Jewellery responded:

"Hello Helen, thank you so much for your wonderful comments. We had a productive and enjoyable session. It was so nice for me to be able to share my knowledge with such enthusiastic and talented student. Already looking forward for the next opportunity."

Andy reviewed: Willow Highland Cow Head

"Course leader was very friendly and course was excellently run being great fun to do. All 3 of our party came away with excellent cows to remember the day. We will be returning soon."

Julia Norris reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"Had a fantastic two days. Sebastian seemed to appear with a helpful suggestion, tool or technique to help my project forward just as it was needed. Lovely setting and interesting chats with a small group of interesting people. We all went away with a successful sculpture, all very different."