Latest reviews

Ann Green reviewed: Furniture Painting Workshop (levels 1&2 techniques covered) in Preston, Lancashire

"An informative day spent learning furniture painting techniques and tips. Jo is a super tutor, very knowledgeable and offers many helpful ideas. Lovely small group to work with too. I've come away with lots of ideas and plans to revitalise old pieces of furniture. Can't wait to get started on a larger project. Great location. "

The Boho Shed responded:

"Thank you so much for your lovely review Ann. I'm so pleased you enjoyed the workshop and learned so much. I'm excited for you with your future projects. Give me a shout if you need any further help. Jo x"

Alison reviewed: Craft Your Own Carving Bench: One to One Woodworking Class

"I have had a fabulous day in a wonderful, peaceful woodland, learning how to use a range of hand tools to make a shave horse/carving bench. Matt is an excellent instructor, explaining and demonstrating everything clearly and helping me to develop my technique in a supportive and encouraging way. His knowledge is extensive and he was able to adapt the design in order to tailor it for my use. The woodland was a glorious place to spend the day, with dappled sunshine and birdsong to accompany our work. Thank you!"

Manor Wood responded:

"Hi Alison, thanks for the review! Really enjoyed the day and a fantastic shave horse was made! "

Helene reviewed: Hare Sculpture workshop with Jo Garden Art in beautiful Norfolk/Suffolk

"This was an absolutey brilliant day from beginning to end - Jo's communication once the day was booked (a Christmas gift!), right the way through to the post day photo was excellent. She and her husband Andy, gave me the others I was joining a warm welcome before guiding us gently through the process of crafting our hares in a way that seemed to bring out the best in everyone participating. Jo and Andy were generous with their help, advice and encouragement - I felt as though they'd thought of everything we'd need both on the day and once we were back home (touch up paint, list of supplies and suppliers, etc.). I am super pleased with my hare and look forward to his taking up residence in our garden once he's fully 'cured'. I highly recommend the course and hope to persude my family to gift me a 2 day return trip next year! Thank you so much Jo and Andy."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you so much Helene - I expect by now your hare is enjoying his forever home in your garden, beaming in the lovely sunshine we are currently having. I do hope to see you again in the studio. Jo xx"

Alison reviewed: Blacksmithing experience - spend a day in the forge

"I absolutely LOVED this day; Richard and Will were excellent patient teachers and I learned so much! I particularly enjoyed being able to try the various heating and metal working techniques (although my favourite was charcoal, hammer and anvil!) I went with one idea of what I wanted to make and very quickly changed my mind which I think Richard and Will are very used to! ;-) I would definitely recommend doing this with Richard and Will and would love to do it again! "

Red Anvil School of Blacksmithing responded:

"Thank you Alison for your kind review. I was pleased to meet you and it was a great joy to see how much you gained from the experience. Passing on my skill always gives me great satisfaction. As you say we are used to students developing their ideas and will do all we can to ensure the outcome is to their liking. As you say Will is very patient and he too enjoyed the day honing his teaching skills. Kind regards Richard "

Cathy Jenkins reviewed: Willow Obelisks Workshop

"We were very impressed with Dave's clear tuition and enthusiasm for the craft and thought it was an excellent introduction to willow work. We were also delighted with our willow obelisks given that we had no prior experience of willow weaving. Everyone was friendly and plenty of tea was available! We would thoroughly recommend it."

Patricia Noel reviewed: 'Bring Your Own Project' Day - Upholstery

" This was a really relaxing and fun day. The tutor, Katie was kind caring and fun to be around she helped me to recover two stools no mean feat with arthritic fingers and made the stool bodies sturdy again so I could put the tops on at a later time at home. She shared her knowledge and taught us some skills on recovering a pair of 1970's stools and a Victorian chair. Really good as this was my first foray into upholstery. They looked amazing and someone even asked me if I was selling them. Definitely recommend this course. Lovely tutor and fellow students and location was fab. Give it a go. Patricia"

Meticulous Restoration responded:

"Thank you so for your lovely review Patricia. Your projects looked fantastic - you have a wonderful eye for colour and did a brilliant job. You really took to upholstering and I'm glad you enjoyed the day. I hope you will use the skills to do more upholstery projects at home. Thanks again, Katie"

Helen reviewed: Printing with Gelli Plates

"I really enjoyed my day at Flatford mill it was a beautiful location and Amanda was an excellent teacher. She provided us with a wide range of materials to work with and showed us a variety of techniques to try. We finished the day with some lovely prints. Thank you Amanda."

Field Studies Council, Flatford Mill responded:

"Thank you Helen for such a lovely review. It's so good to hear you enjoyed the workshop. Amanda had a great group who were really eager to learn and explore new ideas. We hope you can visit us again soon to try one of our other Craft Courses. Thanks again, Amanda and Field Studies Council."

Paul Eastment reviewed: One day MMA/MIG welding course

"A brilliant course designed by people either learning or just brushing up. Tutors are extremely knowledgable and very helpful. Where required trhey assist or stand back and let you try what just been shown. Highly recommended."

Kirsty reviewed: Spoon carving at Walderchain Wood, Canterbury

"I attended the spoon carving workshop having always liked the idea of whittling! Turns out there's a lot more to carving a spoon than just whittling, and Mark was a patient and thorough teacher, guiding us through the initially somewhat daunting stages of axe-wielding and knife-work with good humour and an emphasis on safe techniques. He clearly has a deep knowledge of and love for his craft and transmitted this to all of us. The woodland setting was amazing, the lunch delicious. Definitely recommend the day!"

Walderchain Wood responded:

"Kirsty Thank you for joining us and for the lovely review. Glad you enjoyed the day. All the best Mark and Cristina"

Nigel Rose reviewed: Metal Sculpture

"Had a great time and produced some interesting stuff. Both the tutors are very helpful and generous in sharing both their knowledge and found materials."

Alex reviewed: One Day Beginners Mosaics Workshop

"Really fun day, Justine is a fantastic teacher, very encouraging and knowledgable - really facilitates the day by going out of her way to make suggestions towards whatever you're working on. Very welcoming and chilled atmosphere, a great way to spend a day! "

Primary Colours Murals And Mosaics responded:

"Thanks so much for your great review, I am glad you enjoyed your mosaic making, it was a really great day and group, Justine. "

Lucy M reviewed: Art Course over 4 evenings (Creative/Therapeutic)

"I recently completed this 4 week creative arts course and I was sad to reach the end! The facilitators Louise and Jenna offered a safe and welcoming space, with lots of materials, careful planning and thought. I had the opportunity to try and experience being creative using different mediums, explore any thoughts and feelings that came up. I have learnt new things about myself and others, whilst taking away some new skills and techniques to use moving forward. Thank you Louise and Jenna! I look forward to attending more courses in the future 🙂"

The Creative Counsellor responded:

"Thank you so much Lucy, it was a pleasure to have you on the course."

Jacob reviewed: Introduction to Bowl Turning - Full Day

"I had a very enjoyable day learning the basics of wood turning, having never used a lathe before. Rick's workshop was a great place to spend a day, with a finished bowl to take home too. He was great at demonstrating the techniques and clearly explaining everything (inc. tool selection, safety, tool handling etc.)."

Rick Dobney Woodturning responded:

"Thank you Jacob, I'm glad you enjoyed your day with me and took away so much from it. All the best Rick "

Audrey Neate reviewed: Macrame - Wall Art

"This was a thoroughly enjoyable short course as an introduction to macrame. Wendy is a really creative tutor and was very supportive in her instruction. I was pleased to bring home a piece of macrame that I was happy to hang on the wall"

Steve reviewed: 2 day knife making course

"Fantastic 2 days in the forge. Gary and joss let you get on and try the work while making sure you don't ruin it (or yourself) came away with a brilliant knife I'm really chuffed with"

Alison reviewed: Glass Artist's Studio Experience Day - Fusing (Open group)

"I had a very informative and fun day on the glass fusion course. Dawn was a very patient and knowledgeable tutor. "

Dawn Turner Designs responded:

"Thank you Alison, so glad you had fun, and thank you for your enthusiasm and appetite for learning new ideas! "

Kate reviewed: Stained Glass 1 Day Beginner workshop

"This was a great day! Debra was a fantastic tutor and helped us with the many processes involved in making a stained glass panel. I love my creation.....and want to do more!! "

Stained Glass By Debra responded:

"Thank you for the lovely review Kate. It was great to meet you all and your panels were beautiful. It would be great fun to work with you all again soon"

Debbie Hughes reviewed: Silk Painting for beginners with Jane Hughes

"What a great course! Jane explained everything so simply and worked alongside us which really helped. Lots of tips and patience! Made a lovely card and bookmark in the 3 hours. Highly recommend great for beginners. "

Jane’s Celebration Services responded:

"Thank you Debbie for a lovely review. Glad you enjoyed your morning. It was a pleasure to meet you both. Maybe we will bump into each other at The Little Barn. Thank you so much for coming. Jane "

Ian Harrison reviewed: Mig Welding For Beginners Introductory Day Course.

"Recently attended this beginner mig welding course having purchased my own mig welder. The course was very informative and great fun and Tony’s one two one tuition is excellent. I highly recommend this course to anyone wishing learn mig welding .🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟"

Newport Wrought Ironwork responded:

"Thank you Ian for your review. Glad you enjoyed the course and will continue welding at home with your own equipment. If you have any questions please feel free to contact me. Regards Tony "

Barbara Suchorzewski reviewed: Raku, Saggar, Barrel, Copper Matte & Horsehair Firing Weekend Workshops 2025

"This course is run by Alison and Abi, two amazing tutors with a mine of information that they share in a really relaxed way over the two days. I am a fairly new potter with no experience of the techniques demonstrated and I was amazed at the results we achieved. It was a full course of ten people all with varying levels of experience but the demos were so detailed and the help on hand to guide us was second to none. I can’t say enough to encourage you to do this course, we managed to do all elements of the course which was timed to perfection. Such a lovely bunch of like minded people all helping each other really has been a joy. I can’t wait to repeat some of the techniques here at home. Again a huge thank you to our gifted tutors for sharing their passion and igniting mine. "

Alison and Abi Firing Workshops responded:

"Thank you so much Barbara, it was a pleasure to have you and delighted you had such a great experience. Enjoy playing! "

Sharon Cawood reviewed: Family Painting: Paint an Easter Bunny MELBOURNE

"Excellent course which was very well organised. All materials, aprons, etc, ready to use and lots of help and guidance given. Maybe a little advanced for a 6 year old. "

Celeste Perry reviewed: Monthly Acrylic Painting classes

"Really lovely class, friendly teacher and students. Was a pleasure to attend."

Stanwick Lakes Art and Craft Courses responded:

"Thank you for taking the time to leave us a lovely review. We are happy you enjoyed the course. Best wishes, The Stanwick Lakes team. "

Jim Nunn reviewed: Full day fused glass course with breakfast, lunch and all materials included

"This was my first Fused Glass Taster Course and certainly lived up to its name - Taster Course - in more ways than one. After a tasty and healthy breakfast supplied on arrival, Kim and Sharon described the various methods of using different forms of glass to construct whatever design idea each participant wanted to make. It was then learning by doing, to experience holding and cutting glass in the correct manner to form the various shapes required for the design. After a delicious light lunch, it was time to start on a second and third design. All the designs would then require a firing in a kiln which would be done at a later date. At the end of the session, we were treated to home made ginger cake and coffee or tea. In all, a comprehensive introduction to fused glass techniques which I would recommend to anyone who is interested in glass and wants to try something new."

Hot Fusion Glass responded:

"Thank you Jim, for your lovely review. We had a wonderful day with you and can't wait to see your fired designs..."

Alex Q reviewed: Introduction to MIG welding and metal fabrication for artists, Diy'ers and furniture makers

"Good introduction to MIG welding. Conan is great, and has everything to hand - but come with a project you want to build as teaching the actual intro to MIG is pretty quick and you need to build something to learn on the job. Came away with an awesome BBQ grill. "

Conan Sturdy, Blacksmith responded:

"Hi Alex, Thanks for coming down to one of my courses and hopefully you should now be able to weld bits and bobs together. The bbq grill was cool with the fade on the side 🙂"

Heather reviewed: Watercolour and drawing courses

"The session was great. A few new tips I have now learnt and a lovely afternoon painting. The pricing was just great and being able to have 1:1 tuition for the cost is a really good deal."