Latest reviews

Rona Hawkins reviewed: Willow asymmetrical basket course

"A fantastic experience, Sarah and Marcus are wonderfully calm and relaxed with endless support when required. I came away with a beautiful asymetrical basket and felt extremely proud of my achievements. I can thoroughly recommend their courses and Sarah also makes the most beautiful baskets to buy on line."

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

"Jo & Andrew are so welcoming. The surroundings were beautiful, time flew and I got lost in the day. Would go again. Jo gave us all individual attention and the statue I made looks stunning."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Mike - one of my favourite comments is when people say they become absorbed into the craft - or as you put it, got lost in the day. Switching off from everyday life is so important and to go home with a lovely sculpture is the bonus! Jo x"

Jane Hext reviewed: Block Printing Workshop (full-day)

"My friend and I had a very enjoyable day on the block printing course. The tutor was very friendly and informative. We were soon producing lovely prints on various materials and I was pleased with my efforts which I took home. Class size is small so you get plenty of attention and it is a lovely venue."

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

"I had a lovely day at grappenhall yesterday learning some new furniture painting skills. I had a lovely time with 3 other ladies. This is the second workshop ive been on of jo's, again she didn't disapoint. I learned new skills on different painting and finishing methods that i will use in my inspiration to do more at home. I completed a mirror using some of the techniques and changed a dull mirror into something worth using again. Thank you jo for another great day and im sure i will see you again very soon."

The Boho Shed responded:

"I’m so pleased you wanted to come back for more Joan :-). Thank you for your lovely comments and I hope to see you again soon too. X"

Kim reviewed: Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving

"Another fabulous workshop this time learning to weave. An amazing studio to learn new crafts with Alice who is extremely calm and and patient. Thank you Alice, can’t wait to join another workshop!"

Sharon reviewed: Full-day traditional basketry willow workshops with Pip Cottage in Lancashire

"Fantastic willow weaving course yesterday. Absolutely loved it and will definitely doing more with you. The Course was well organised, samples to view and books/sketches for ideas. Great ideas, clear instructions and help whenever needed. I’m now the proud owner of Henry the Heron who’s proudly standing in my garden. Thanks Julie for a great day, so relaxing - I got lost in time. Will definitely be booking with you again"

Pip Cottage responded:

"Hello Sharon, glad you enjoyed the willow workshop and Henry the Heron is fabulous, a pleasure to work with you and look forward to weaving with you in the future. Thanks, Julie "

Amy reviewed: Glass blowing course - taster

"A fabulous experience which I shared with my Dad. We had a great time learning the basics of glass blowing from Chris, who was calm and very patient and enabled us to produce some really lovely pieces to take home. I would highly recommend this taster course to anyone."

Chew Valley HandMade Glass responded:

"Thank you Amy for taking the time to leave a review. Chris loves teaching so it is lovely that you enjoyed your time with him. The team at chew valley handmade glass "

Jenny Bond reviewed: Basket making for beginners using traditional willow basketry techniques

"An excellent and fun day. Jonny and Becky were patient teachers and gave clear instructions with beautiful baskets as a great result. The lunch was delicious and Becky’s cake yummy! I would love to return!"

Louise reviewed: Fused Glass Lanterns with Crafts in the Valley

"I attended the fused glass lantern course last Sunday morning with my friend. We had a lovely time, Melanie was very helpful, and provided plenty of inspiration, as well as making sure we had plenty of refreshments. This was our second class, we attended a class before Christmas which we really enjoyed, and so we booked again. After the class we went to Hebden Bridge Sunday market, where there were some lovely goodies on offer including focaccia and empanadas, cakes, pies, handicrafts, all sort. So tea sorted for the next few days, and a great day out!"

Jan Petty reviewed: Beekeeping Experience Day

"I had a really good day and John was so knowledgeable and enthusiastic it really helped me to confirm that this is what I want to do. Sue provided a lovely lunch & tea and biscuits. I would highly recommend to anyone interested in keeping bees ? Thank you both for a great day."

Sue O'Mara Art responded:

"Thanks Jan! So glad you had a good day and want to keep your own bees. If you need anything just drop us an email and we will be happy to help. Best wishes, Sue and John"

Helen & Suzanne reviewed: Outdoor mosaic workshops - 1 day with Rachel Hyde at Creative with Nature studio Todmorden West Yorkshire

"We really enjoyed this workshop with Rachael, and are very pleased with our mosaics!"

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review for us: ) I'll pass this onto your teacher. Look forward to welcoming you onto another course soon. warm regards, joe gregory. xx"

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

"What a fantastic day......starting as a complete novice of sculpturing, to leaving with a hare to be proud of! Jo is a great teacher, and guides you every step of the way, along with plenty of refreshments and fun. Working from her lovely workshop, the day flies by, as you complete each step of building the model. Thoroughly recommended and great value for money....loved it so much I've booked a 2-day course for a bigger sculpture :)"

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Angie ?. As you say, the day goes by so quickly! Looking forward to seeing you later in the year on the two day workshop ?. Jo x"

Katy Morris reviewed: Outdoor mosaic workshops - 1 day with Rachel Hyde at Creative with Nature studio Todmorden West Yorkshire

"I had a lovely day with a friendly group of ladies and was impressed to have a completed piece of work at the end of the day! Lots of choice of glass and Rachael was very helpful and encouraging. I am really keen to try out more mosaic projects now."

Creative with Nature Ltd responded:

"Thanks so much for the lovely review Katy, we look forward to welcoming you onto another course soon and I'll pass on your comments to Rachel. Warm regards, Joe Gregory. xx"

Michael de Jacquier reviewed: Spray painting - furniture, doors, sculpture, metal, wood, masonry

"David is an extremely experience tutor and his knowledge on the topic is very impressive. You leave the day with very solid understanding and practice of the skill as well as a solid appreciation for the equipment, it’s use, maintenance, etc. There are loads of gimmicks out there, so the ability to differentiate the good form the bad, from the useless, … The spray painting workshop was equally impressive. A very good day indeed. Highly recommended."

Michael Crisp reviewed: Craft Bookbinding (1 day) in the Peak District

"I really enjoyed the whole day. Holly was excellent in her instructions which enabled me to produce a book of which I am very proud. She obviously knew her stuff and put it across very well for absolute beginners like me! I an inspired to continue with this craft into the future. The people at Zantium, Alison and Peter, looked after us very well and would recommend courses held there. Thank you again for a most enjoyable day."

Carol reviewed: Candlemaking for Beginners

"I had a really good time on this course. Rob, the tutor was clearly a professional and gave us so much information about types of wax, wicks, moulds, dyes, scents and containers. I came away with 5 candles that I had made which were produced using different methods and using different waxes. There were only 6 students on the course which was the perfect number. I would encourage anyone to try this course. Excellent value for money, excellent tutor and he makes a good cup of tea!"

Nicola reviewed: Basket making for beginners using traditional willow basketry techniques

"We had an excellent day doing this workshop. Very friendly and relaxed, with great cake! Clear tuition, and manageed to make a basket i was quite proud of. Definately recommend."

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

"What a fantastic day! Extremely rewarding & informative. This Christmas present gift came at the perfect time for me. Jo was brilliant! Can thoroughly recommend!"

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Susie! A Christmas gift mid-year ?. You made a lovely hare and I hope you enjoy making the leaping hare kit you took home. Jo x"

Nici Wilcox reviewed: Spoon Carving Workshop - One Day

"I absolutely loved this workshop. Made 2 spoons in the day, both of which I’m really pleased with. Carl is a great teacher. Highly recommend, spoon making is fun, relaxing and rewarding."

Ann Richards reviewed: Free-motion (freehand) machine embroidery and textile art

"The course was great. 3 of us attended and we all really enjoyed it. We learned how to set our machines up for free motion embroidery and practiced the technique in the morning. Catherine was a friendly, informative and hands on teacher. Her own beautiful work was available for inspiration together with a selection of books on textiles and a selection of fabrics. By the afternoon we had each decided upon a design and chosen to make either a framed picture, a cushion or a tote bag. We were given guidance on how to place our designs using Bondaweb before commencing the free motion embroidery ourselves. Course notes and some templates were provided. The setting and studio are beautiful and the hospitality warm and inviting. A delicious lunch was provided plus home baked lemon drizzle cake in the afternoon. What’s not to love??!! We’ll definitely be be back."

Flossie and Twts responded:

"Thank you so much ☺️-It was an absolute pleasure Ann, and I’d love you all to come back. Cake appreciation is always good too x"

Simone reviewed: Jewellery making with silver clay - one day beginners workshop

"I thoroughly enjoyed my day and came away with three lovely pieces of jewellery. Charlotte is very helpful and will help you to make what you have in your mind. The nice thing is that it is something you can do at home too. Recommend it ?"

Felix & Reuben Jewellery School responded:

"We're pleased you enjoyed the workshop Simone! Well done on making such fabulous jewellery. If you do decide to continue your silver clay journey at home, feel free to get in touch with any questions you have along the way! Regards Charlotte"

Grace Miller reviewed: Upholstery/cushion making

"My sister and I had such a fantastic two days with Jo. We were very disorganised in advance but Jo was so patient and understanding. She made us feel really welcome and was a real joy to be around for the two day course. The course itself was great fun, a lot of work but it was really fascinating to see how much work goes into upholstering furniture and Jo’s skills and knowledge were excellent. I was particularly impressed with how well Jo moved from one ‘student’ to another, she was always checking how we were doing to see if we needed help. It was a perfect number of four of us so was an intimate class and we had lots of Jo’s attention and help. I also loved the studio, it was a lovely place to spend the two days and we had coffee and snacks to tide us over! Thanks so much Jo for a fabulous two days. Grace"

What Jo did next responded:

"Hey Grace - you're very welcome! You 2 were delightful to be around too! Both of you really took to upholstery and understood the instructions well. You made my job easy! "

Nicole reviewed: Floor standing Lamps by ShedLight

"Thank you Vanessa for sharing your expertise and teaching us how to make lampshades for our floor lamps. We all thoroughly enjoyed ourselves and are delighted with the finished lamps ... which also have approval from our husbands! A lovely way to spend a morning."

ShedLight responded:

"Ha ha Nicole fantastic that all your husband’s approve of your fabulous floor lamps! Thank you for your lovely review and it was my pleasure teaching you all ? Vanessa x"

Richard reviewed: Willow asymmetrical basket course

"Sarah and Marcus were so helpful and patient , making it a great day .I would thoroughly recommend it!"

Melinda Saunders reviewed: Beginners weaving

"Learn an exciting new craft in beautiful surroundings"

Kingshill House responded:

"Thank you so much for your kind review Melinda. It was a pleasure to welcome you to Kingshill House."