Latest reviews

Emma Thomas reviewed: Wooden Maille Construction Kit

"Super useful in helping me figure out how the maille was meant go together!"

Phil Parkes Maille responded:

"Thanks Emma, great to hear that you found them a useful learning aid."

Liz H reviewed: "Through the Garden Gate" - Machine Embroidery Workshop

"This is an excellent course and I came away with such confidence and an abundance of ideas to take me forward. I also have a picture I love and would have thought beyond my ability before this course. Jen is an excellent teacher and each participant was able to produce their own individual and different take on the principles by being guided and supported by Jen to follow our likes and ability….encouraged to be creative and ‘daring’. A fantastic environment to work in, the pace is steady but never feels pressured. Highly recommended. I will be back. Thank you. "

Sew Forest of Dean responded:

"Thank you so much for such a lovely review Liz. It's always fascinating to see how people respond to the various techniques I demonstrate and it was wonderful that you embraced them all within your work. Your finished picture was a delight and I'm sure it's just the start of your exploration of the techniques we covered. I can't wait to see your work and skills develop further! Thanks again Liz, always a pleasure to share my studio space with you. Jen"

Christine Holloway reviewed: Blacksmithing Introduction courses in Yorkshire and the North East

"An excellent day. Plenty of support, help and encouragement. I am very proud of the two garden flowers that I made. I thoroughly recommend this course. Food is very good too. A lot of hammering is involved so you might want to bring some leather gloves if you are liable to blisters."

Rory Cowan reviewed: Woodturning for beginners

"2 Day course completed April 2023. All the admin for the course was well done and directions were good. I have done quite a bit of turning previously so this was by way of dealing with certain techniques I felt weak. on. Stuart quickly focussed on what I needed to look at and deal with and we majored on that. One concern I had was that we may find we didn't get on but that was fine and a more easy going chap would be hard to find. In particular I was keen to deal with bowl turning and deep boring and getting my own tools ground correctly - we did all this and more - so two days very well spent. Thank you Stuart."

The Scottish Woodturner responded:

"Thanks Rory. I'll be expecting to see your version of the Alibaba vase on Youtube iminently. Two good fun days. S."

Sadie Charles reviewed: Resin Cheeseboard & Coaster Workshop

"Wonderful experience! It was something new and different - we all had so much fun! Brilliant teacher also! We all very much enjoyed ourselves and I will definitely recommend to others! "

Georgie reviewed: Stained Glass Traditional (lead work) Method - Taster

"Really enjoyed this course, cutting involved straight and curved lines, grinding and piecing the glass together. Ruth is friendly and knowledgeable. Looking forward to another course with Ruth. "

KelZig responded:

"Thank you Georgie. I love it when couples join the courses, the dynamic is loads of fun. Can’t wait to see you again,"

Karen Armitstead reviewed: Lampworking Workshop: Taster Workshop

"Absolutely fabulous morning making beads for my trollbead bracelet. Suzanne was friendly, informative and professional. I can definitely recommend her glass bead workshops to potential clients. A must for bead enthusiasts. "

Suzanne Jewellery responded:

"Thank you so much Karen for your lovely review. So pleased you enjoyed your workshop. Suzanne x"

Lisa reviewed: Pottery throwing sessions on the potter's wheel in Norfolk

"This was a birthday present for my son and the whole experience was exceptional. The booking process was simple and when we turned up Pat was really friendly, patient, knowledgeable and encouraging. My son was thrilled with his present and has been telling everyone about it. We will definitely be booking again for other birthday presents! "

Pat Southwood responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind words, I am so pleased he enjoyed himself, he certainly has a talent for it!"

Niki R reviewed: Small outdoor plaster hare sculpture kit (30cm) with full video instructions by Jo Garden Art

"Absolutely loved achieving my first outdoor hare plaster sculpture! From the excitement of unpacking the kit, to watching Jo's wonderful video, browsing the comprehensive instructions, and then working through foiling the armature with my little message inside, applying Modroc, getting messy with the plaster, painting and finally gilding, it was immersive joy from start to finish. Thank you Jo, I'm going for the big hare next, can't wait!"

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you so much Niki! Each stage is so different and the hare morphs through to when the gilt cream brings it to life. The large hare will be so much fun now you know the process 😊🙌 Jo x"

Sarah Reilly reviewed: Bring Your Own Upholstery Project - Buy 3 days and save.

"Absolutely loved doing this 5 day course and plan to continue with new projects. Sarah is a brilliant teacher, as well as practitioner. She gives clear instructions, demonstrating and modelling techniques and checks your work to ensure you produce a quality product. The classes are relaxed and everyone is very welcoming. Sarah makes a wicked rocky road too! "

Jessica Beltrame l reviewed: Printing with Gelli Plates -Pictures or memory book pages

"Did the batik painting course and thoroughly enjoyed it. The tutor was very knowledgeable and approachable. She showed us step by step the technique. I would highly recommend her."

Feltworld - Creative Arts responded:

"It was a pleasure to teach you both for the day. Loved your art works and hope you get them framed 😉. Best regards Barbara "

Meher reviewed: One Day Stained Glass Foiling Method Course

"An excellent workshop! Cheryl is such a warm and beautiful person and a great teacher! Had a fantastic time in her company and got a great experience learning this stained glass technique and a beautiful piece to take home! Highly recommend her, will be back again to learn the lead method! "

Cheryl Powling Glass responded:

"Hey Meher.., I cannot tell you how proud I was of Aaliya And having you both here was a joy .. I really hope you come back .. thank you for your kind words xx 😘 "

Glen reviewed: Blacksmithing day courses: making garden flowers

"Excellent course. Really enjoyed it. "

Louise Halbert reviewed: Weave an alpaca scarf in a day

"The day exceeded my expectations - great studio, fabulous tutor, and a lovely touch of being able to meet the alpacas who 'donated' their wool for the project. Highly recommended!"

Clivewood Alpacas responded:

"Thank you, it was a pleasure teaching you. I hope you enjoy continuing to weave. "

Jill E reviewed: Bespoke Contemporary Fine Art Encaustic Wax Workshop.

"A really great experience. Lyn is a very friendly and patient tutor. My friend and I really enjoyed making a piece of art. The time went very quickly and Lyn gave us lots of 1 to 1 tuition. We would highly recommend this course. Delicious home made cake too."

Contemporary Encaustic Wax Workshop with Lyn Kirkland responded:

"Ladies, I enjoyed the day too! Thank you so much for your kind words, you should be very pleased with your paintings, I look forward to seeing a photo of them in situ! All the very best Lyn "

Phil J reviewed: Blow a bauble at Chew Valley handmade glass

"Excellent time. It was well worth doing and so satisfying to see a bauble emerge from our ineptitude through the patient training of the instructor! Would recommend it to anyone and would be happy to try again for longer!"

Chew Valley HandMade Glass responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave a review for us Phil, so glad you enjoyed your time with us. You will have to try the taster course next time. Kind regards The team at chew valley handmade glass "

Helen Morris reviewed: Quilting weekend, Wetherby

"I attended a weekend beginner's course recently and had such an enjoyable time. Jacqueline is an excellent teacher. Her demos were clear and easy to follow and well timed. She created a relaxed and supportive atmosphere and the group of people attending were lovely. I had a lot of fun over the weekend. The food Jacqueline provided was delicious (her meringues are to die for and her brownies were chocolatey slices of heaven). Whilst having a great time chatting and laughing as we sewed, I learnt a lot about quilting and picked up some great hints and tips. I'm looking forward to booking another session with Jacqueline."

Bee-spoke Quilts responded:

"Thank you for your kind feedback Helen. It was a pleasure to teach you. I always enjoy passing on the skills of this addictive craft! I hope to see you again. Jacqueline "

Fiona Edmondson reviewed: Bespoke for Fiona Nuno felted scarf course

"A really enjoyable and informative day spent with Jo doing Nuno felting. Jo is very knowledgeable about all kinds of felting processes and passes that on in a clear and interesting way. I thoroughly enjoyed my time at her studio and look forward to booking another course at some point"

Phinefibre responded:

"Thank you Fiona for your lovely review, much appreciated. Happy you enjoyed your Nuno felting day and making your lovely creative scarf."

Benjamin Greaves reviewed: Make a 3 legged rustic stool - one day

"We loved our 3 legged stool making experience and would highly recommend it to friends and family. "

Ian Hartas reviewed: Window frame making day

"The right course at the right place, at the right time. Just what I needed to get the confidence to make my own window frames. A great day, well recommended."

Teds Woodworking/ instrument making Courses responded:

"Thanks Ian Your windows will look ace for sure. Kind regards Ted"

Philippa reviewed: Epoxy Resin Art Masterclass: Seascapes

"A great class with a relaxed vibe. Perhaps could have had a slight bit more "structure" to it or more signposting of expectations on what we were doing when. Overall there was clear instruction and engagement, and I certainly want to do more work with this material. The format of the class worked well within the timings."

Peter and Sarah reviewed: Beginners 1-day pairs woodturning workshop

"This is a great course for complete novices like us and we thoroughly enjoyed the day. Simon taught it really well, first explaining the equipment and how to use it and then we practised doing some bead and cove shapes. In the afternoon we made a bowl from scratch, with help from Simon where needed to keep us from making too many mistakes and making sure we had something nice to take home. A really relaxed atmosphere, no pressure, and nice relaxing lunch too. Would highly recommend. Also, Simon sent us some excellent follow-up notes afterwards that went through everything we had done on the day."

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

"Hi Peter & Sarah, So glad you enjoyed the day and I hope the notes will come in useful. Please get in touch if you have any questions or need any advice. — Simon"

Gill Brooks reviewed: Sculpture workshop two days with Jo Garden Art in beautiful rural Norfolk/Suffolk border setting

"Excellent two day course. Inspiring surroundings and inspiring teacher in Jo. Recommend highly. Particularly good for small group event ie for a group of friends or family V happy with my ‘family stack’ and leaping hare."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Gill - those 'family stacks' are getting taller every time one is made! So glad you also managed to make the leaping hare from the kit you purchased previously - you certainly managed to get through a lot in the two days! Well done! Jo xx"

Jenny Griffiths reviewed: Get to know your sewing machine

"Really enjoyed it , learned so much, lovely lady teaching us , lovely venue "

Jane Leigh reviewed: Creating Art with Sea Glass and Sea Treasures

"The Sea-glass workshop was fantastic! The venue was very beautiful and tranquil and the wood burner made it cosy in the studio. The refreshments were home cooked and delicious and served beautifully. Shanine was very knowledgeable and was able to answer all of our questions and her enthusiasm was infectious ! Shanine was really helpful and positive in her instruction and we were provided with loads of materials to use and encouraged to experiment. We were all so pleased with our pictures and left with them framed . Thank you so much for a fabulous day! I will certainly be making more pictures and searching the beaches for treasures 😊"

Tiny Homes Holidays responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind review Jane - greatly appreciated by all the team here!"