Latest reviews

Julie Harris reviewed: 1 Day bag making course - 10 design options

"I attended the 1 day bag making course coming home with a beautiful pink & blue messenger bag thanks to the creative nurturing of Rebecca. It’s such a welcoming environment and great to see what the other students are making. I would highly recommend Rebecca’s workshops particularly if you have always wanted to make a lovely leather bag but don’t know where to start"

Nikki reviewed: Glass Fusing with Enamels Taster Class - Make a Tealight Curve

"Class was relaxed and very informative. Steve was an excellent, patient teacher, and made time for every attendee. Can’t wait to pick up my piece to see the finished product."

Pawel reviewed: Small leather crossbody bag workshop (1-day)

"It was wonderful to learn my first leather bag cutting, stichting and finishing edges. I was surprised when I discovered Natasha’s beautiful designs on her website. I am confident to say I chose the right place to master my skills. I know it better now. I have a list of necessary tools and after training support is something you can not get anywhere else. Thank you very much Natasha, Pawel"

Nick reviewed: Beginners half-day 1-2-1 woodturning workshop for 1 person

"What a fabulous afternoon. Wood turning is great fun and very satisfying. So why choose Blended Monkey? Quite simple. Simon the tutor is superb. You are made to feel welcome from the start. He is very generous with his time, expertise and offer of post session support. He is very patient and understands the difficulty of the novice. You never feel under pressure. I really enjoyed the afternoon. I am planning to take this up as a hobby and would have no reservations about booking further teaching from Simon. Couldn't recommend more highly"

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

"Nick, Thank you for such a glowing and honest review! I really enjoyed the session and hope to see you again soon. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need more help or information. — Simon"

Diane FS reviewed: Furniture Painting Workshop (levels 1&2 techniques covered) in Warrington, Cheshire

"Attended a L1 painting techniques course @ Grappenhall with the lovely Jo. Learned some great techniques stencilling, distressing, crackling, dry brushing, and all about the different paints and finishes available to use. Jo explains everything really well, you get a chance to practice them all first and then you decide which ones you want to apply to your own piece(s). Really great day, with a lovely group, in beautiful surroundings - highly recommended."

The Boho Shed responded:

"Thanks so much Diane. I’m so pleased you enjoyed the workshop. What a lovely bunch you all were. ??"

Jackie reviewed: ARCHIVED Hand-formed Garden Shape

"An excellent day with my sister making a mosaic garden shape under Chrissy's guidance. It was a very relaxed atmosphere, there was a generous amount of resources and Chrissy was generous with her skills and her time."

Hilary reviewed: One day modern calligraphy with Jane Lappage

"Utterly fabulous day! Jane teaches all the techniques really well! All resources well set out, super quality! Had a fun and amiable day! Learned a lot and enjoyed buying the correct products from her to use when at home. I am very inspired to keep practising!"

Created By Hand responded:

"Thanks for the great Feedback Hilary It's reassuring to know that the way we hold our classes is appreciated. We hope to welcome you back soon on another class. Kindest Regards Dave"

Helen reviewed: 5 Day Professional Furniture Refinishing Workshop - Traditional & Contemporary

"I did the 5 day professional furniture refinishing course with Ollie in April as I wanted to set up my own part-time business refurbishing vintage furniture. The course was excellent, covering everything from stripping, sanding, oiling/waxing and painting to get a very professional finish. Ollie is very patient and flexible in tailoring the course to your needs. It is a great mix of hands on practical work, alongside written notes enabling you to refer back when you need a reminder. Ollie is also very generous in helping with ad hoc queries post course when you need a little extra direction. I can’t recommend this course enough and hope to go back for more modules in future."

Sebin reviewed: Sneaker workshop

"For a person who is not particularly creative, I surprised myself when after just 2 days, I managed to create a gorgeous pair of sneakers. Eli is a skilled and patient tutor and a wonderfully friendly person. The class is small enough for everyone to get the attention they need."

Alina reviewed: Sneaker workshop

"I had an amazing experience in the two-day shoemaking workshop. Eli is brilliant and ready to help and support her students to achieve the most creative and unique results. The leather workshop has plenty of leather pieces to choose from and the overall atmosphere is relaxed and full of friendly like-minded craftsy people."

Andy Thesen reviewed: Zarzo Baskets in the Surrey Hills

"Wonderful day with Brian and Nicki. I’d highly recommend their courses. They are extremely experienced and knowledgeable in addition to being warm and friendly. I loved the location too. I’ll be going back Andy Thesen"

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

"Hi Emma, I had such a good time yesterday! I absolutely love our workshops. Thank you so much for everything and for making it such fun and enjoyable. The perfect day for me actually. I come home inspired and raring to go."

abelmosaics responded:

"Your Robin is looking fabulous, so glad you enjoyed the day. Great feather cutting Brenda!"

Mike Bruce reviewed: Blacksmithing course - spend a day in the forge

"Richard was absolutely fantastic and sympathetic to my lack of skill. Watching him at work demonstrating certain elements made it look very easy. As I embarked on my solo trial couldn't have been so wrong! Coordination with the hammer and rotating the piece of metal took a bit of time to sort out! Well worth the money and an experience I hope to do again in the near future."

Red Anvil School of Blacksmithing responded:

"Firstly, thank you for your positive and glowing review it is much appreciated. Secondly, and most importantly we are so pleased you had a really enjoyable day and hope to see you again in due course. Richard "

Lynn reviewed: Mosaic stepping stone

"What a lovely lady Jane is........ We spent an enjoyable afternoon in her creative workshop whilst she passed on all her tips to me for my future hobby of mosaic. It was a super environment, with a cheerful & chatty like-minded tutor. Thoroughly enjoyed it. My only suggestion would be that key information could be given in a handout rather than the student scribbling it down on a piece of paper. Loved it though......."

Paul reviewed: Introduction to green woodworking at Sallerton Wood

"Andy is a skilled and very patient tutor, taking absolute beginners through to producing 3 things to take home! The setting is idyllic in his own wood, where greenwood crafting is demonstrated surrounded by birdsong and buzzards calling. Using satnav will not necessarily get you to the right spot, but it's a great journey in many ways. Thoroughly enjoyed the day."

Sallerton Wood responded:

"Many thanks, Paul, for your kind review. Glad to hear that you enjoyed the day's course and its natural environment and birdsong. Thanks also for your comments about tutoring. Many thanks for your support, and it would be good to see you back at Sallerton Wood one day. "

Richard Waite reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - 2 Day Beginners/Intermediate Workshop

"Oliver is an excellent teacher with a wide range of experience and knowledge. The course is very hands-on and we all completed our selected pieces with expert guidance when needed. All materials were provided and explained and comprehensive course notes and a shopping list were provided after the course. I thoroughly enjoyed this course and learned exactly what I was hoping to learn, which was how to apply French polishing. I would recommend Oliver as a teacher to anyone interested in finishing/re-finishing wooden furniture."

Tony Shilkoff reviewed: Introduction to green woodworking at Sallerton Wood

"I recently did a 1-day introduction to green working. It was an amazing day in a fantastic setting. Andy is a skilled woodworker, with the ability to teach and enthuse. I learnt and realised so much about working with greenwood without the need for power tools. Andy demonstrated we really can work without electricity. Really enjoyed the day! Also thank you to Jane for a nice heathy lunch."

Sallerton Wood responded:

"Thank you, Tony, for that really positive review. We're really pleased to hear that you enjoyed the course, and its environment. Thanks also for your nice comment about Jane's lunch. We look forward to welcoming you back to Sallerton Wood sometime in the future if you choose to do another course with us. "

Sue McGee reviewed: Beginners/improvers glass fusing workshops in Hemingford Grey, Cambridgeshire

"I would thoroughly recommend this workshop. Carole has a fun and relaxed manner and she’s very enthusiastic and knowledgeable about her craft. I found she was encouraging and helpful, whether it was regarding technique or design. She is able to explain the process clearly and in a way that you can understand it. She has some of her work on display, which are things of great beauty. The groups are small (now a maximum of 5 since she revamped her studio). I can’t wait to see the results following the alchemy of the kiln! Thanks again Carole."

Gore Tree Studio responded:

"So glad you enjoyed your day :)"

Rachel reviewed: Stool making course at Sallerton Wood

"My husband and I attended this course recently and were blown away. Andy has an amazing set up here at Sallerton, he is an incredible tutor, patient and clear. He made the instructions seem easy and we ended up with incredible professional looking stools that we’re still grinning about. Recommend 110%!"

Sallerton Wood responded:

"Thank you very much indeed, Rachel, for your lovely review. We're very pleased that you enjoyed the course, its tuition, and the setup at Sallerton Wood. It was good to have you and Richard on the course, and we look forward to welcoming you back to Sallerton Wood on another course in the future. "

Hen reviewed: Box making weekend in Cumbria

"I had a very enjoyable weekend having a go with lots of different woodworking tools and getting a great insight into woodworking methods. Mark's instructions and demonstrations were clear and helpful and enabled us to go away with surprisingly excellent finished products."

Cathy reviewed: Beach Houses in Acrylics on canvas

"Had a lovely day! It was relaxing, friendly and chilled. The instructions were clear and well paced and there was loads of encouragement and positive feedback. Can't praise the day enough!"

A.S.K Art & Pottery Gallery & Studio responded:

"Thanks Cathy, I’m so glad you got a lot out of the day. It was lovely to meet you. I hope to see you again soon. X"

Pete reviewed: Introduction to fused glass (1 day) in Sheffield, South Yorkshire

"Really enjoyed my day making fused glass. Martin is friendly and encouraging even if you are not artistic. He's great at making tea too. Would thoroughly recommend doing the class or buying it as a pressie for others. Have a go - its brilliant"

Nicci reviewed: Couples Date Day- Best Date Ever!- Blacksmithing Experience Day

"Most amazing day!"

Sophie Mobberley reviewed: Beginners Sewing - Day course - Get to know your sewing machine

"Had the best day, and learnt so much..feel so much more confident after just one lesson. Judi was so friendly and put myself and my friend at ease and gave us so much support. Highly recommended to anyone who wants to learn to sew."

Laura reviewed: Stonecarving Weekend, Gloucestershire Cotswolds

"Sebastian is an excellent teacher of complete beginners and we thoroughly enjoyed our 2-day course. Our ‘works of art’ will be treasured and exceeded all expectations. My piece was modelled on our Lurcher who much appreciated lying in the sun posing for us. We would highly recommend Sebastian’s absorbing course."