1 Jan 25'
"We had a great time in the 3 hour half day mosaic workshop. My dad has mobility issues and also had recent surgery on his hand that hadn’t healed as quickly as hoped. Laura was able to support him to achieve a great finished piece with clever suggestions to simplify design and by offering to help intermittently, without making a fuss.
The process is easy to grasp, with some fiddly bits that require good hand control but nothing is irreversible as cement takes a lot of time to set.
Laura has carefully designed the session with a cuppa on arrival and guidance on what can be achieved in the time and has lots of ready made stencils to jump straight in on making without overwhelm.
I’m confident in arty things and made my design more complicated using small pieces and I probably pushed the limit of what could be done in 3 hours but wasn’t made to feel rushed at any point and am really happy with the result.
Laura is really friendly and open and there’s lots to look at and inspire in the studio and pictures of her work.
Some practical notes are that the studio is upstairs in an old mill though apparently there is a lift somewhere. The toilet however is downstairs and a bit ropey so good tip would be to go before you arrive. "
Laura Barnes Crafty Fox Studios responded:
"Thank you Catherine, that is some review! I'm delighted you mentioned the flexibility here at my workshops and I applaud you for making the journey here under difficult circumstances. It was a lovely afternoon and I am glad to have met you and your family. Happy New Year to you all. Laura. "