Latest reviews

Justine Williams reviewed: One to one, One day, blacksmith course

"What a fantastic day in the forge where I heated, bent and bashed metal rods to create a tree-like bird feeder! Alex is a patient and encouraging teacher whose blacksmith and artistic skills helped me create something I am proud of."

Chalk Pit Forge responded:

"Hi Justine, thanks very much for the great review. Glad you're proud of what you achieved. Well done! Alex"

Shirl Taylor reviewed: Winter Woodland beauty- natural cosmetic making from woodland plants and trees

"Was wonderful so lovely informative relaxing exciting and I can't thank Rachel enough"

Workshops in the Woods responded:

"Thanks for the lovely review Shirl- glad you had a good day and look forward to seeing you in the future I hope- Rachel"

Becky reviewed: Forge a Knife- Blacksmithing and Knifemaking Experience Day

"Such a great experience, the day completely exceeded our expectations. Jon was friendly, knowledgeable and very helpful, and immediately thought of ways to let us personalise our knife when we asked about engraving. We loved the day, it was so unique and we've come away with an amazing knife! Thankyou Jon! We'll definitely be back to add to the set!"

Craig Hutchinson reviewed: Glass blowing course - taster

"I can honestly say.. the whole morning was better than I had thought it would be in everyway! The venue is set in a beautiful little farm shop, we got to make 5 pieces.. when I thought we would make 1 or 2.. and the staff were both very welcoming, helpful, patient and amazing ! The pieces we got to make were a small vase, a longer vase, a coloured vase and 2 coloured paperweights.. I use the term 'vase' loosely.. mine wasn't very good haha - however this didn't take away from how fun the event was ! I would 100% recommend this and wish the team at Chew Valley Handmade Glass the best for the future ! I will hopefully be back soon ! :D !"

Chew Valley HandMade Glass responded:

"Hi Craig, thank you so much for you kind review. It was a pleasure to meet you, and we are delighted you had such a great time with us. Look forward to seeing you in the future. From Angie, Steve & Chris the team at chew valley handmade glass"

Stew Art reviewed: Carve a spoon in a day

"Had a wonderful day learning to carve a spoon with Mike (and Jack ??)..it was held in a beautiful setting on the edge of the chevin forest.. mike's relaxed and friendly way of teaching meant I was able to take a lot of information in without feeling overwhelmed..we were taught as a group but also had plenty of 1:1 help through out the day.. would definitely recommend to others.."

Tim Allen reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Overall very good, great fun and I learned a lot, loads of useful tips and advice. I was also very happy with the result. The only criticism I would make is that there were a lot of people on the workshop and it was fairly full on with a lot to cover - a break in the middle for tea and discussion would have been very welcome, rather than at the beginning."

Helen Allen reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Fun afternoon. Pleased with result.. can't wait to see finished set product. My particular class was a little too large to be truly 'fun' and may have benefited from a short tea break before the resin stage to give time for everyone to catch up and digest the process so far. However, had an enjoyable day out. Thanks Richard."

Muhammad & Sumbul reviewed: Silversmithing workshop

"Thanks for giving us extra time to finish our jewellery pieces. It was a wonderful experience. Kami is so friendly, We really enjoyed her company while we were making jewellery. Totally recommended. Muhammad & Sumbul"

Mya Designs responded:

"Hi Muhammed and Sumbul, Thanks for a lovely review. It was great to see you both progress as beginners and I love the jewellery you made! I hope you will join me in the future for more silversmithing techniques or even a completely different craft :)"

Charlotte de Lacey reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"As a complete beginner this course was great for me, talking me through all of the steps, giving clear instructions and I thoroughly enjoyed it - I can't wait to see the finished result!"

Deborah Bullen reviewed: Introduction to Frame Loom Weaving

"What a fabulous day. I left the day with a finished piece of textile art! Alice is a great tutor. Being in her studio in the hot walls was a real treat lots of beautiful work to inspire. However Alice does nurture your own creativity and ideas. Thank you Alice I loved it looking forward to weaving more in the future."

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

"I had a great day basket weaving with Jon and Becky. Jon was really welcoming and the studio was well equipped with everything we needed. Every stage of the weaving was explained and demonstrated well and Jon and Becky were on hand to support as much as I needed. It was a lovely size group and we enjoyed a beautiful lunch outside as well as some lovely home made cake - thank you Becky! A wonderful day which I can’t recommend enough, I’ll be using my basket regularly! Thank you"

Dave reviewed: Alcohol Ink Painting

"Alcohol inks is a fascinating art medium - quite different to watercolour or oil painting. It is great fun to use. The workshop included lots of techniques which Barbara demonstrated. She also gave us lots of time and material for us to experiment with for ourselves as well as offering encouragement and advice on our individual pieces. An excellent workshop. Thank you."

Feltworld - Creative Arts responded:

"Thank you , It was great to teach you Dave. Loved your use of colour mixing using the alcohol inks."

Christopher Ashcroft reviewed: Beginners Epoxy Resin Workshop

"Having tried unsuccessfully to work with wood and resin through video tutorials I decided to attend this face-to-face course for beginners. Definitely the right choice! Richard is a very knowledgeable and friendly "tutor" who clearly has a passion for working with resins. From constructing a mould, sealing wood, calculating resin volumes, mixing resins and even the use of liquid and powder colours, this easy to understand course has it all. Already looking forward to my next course - how to achieve a high quality finish - using the piece I created today. I wish I'd done this a couple of years ago - it would have saved £'s in wasted resin! Thoroughly recommended."

Kelly Docherty reviewed: Beginners Watercolours & Cream Tea Experience (minimum booking is for 2 people)

"What a perfect way to spend a rainy Saturday morning. Amina was friendly helpful and we enjoyed painting in her peaceful studio. All topped off with some lovely scones and a cuddle with Murphy the dog. Fab."

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

"Kelly and Amelia were an absolute pleasure to meet and spend time with. They completed some lovely watercolour paintings and enjoyed the cream tea and a cuddle with Murphy. I hope to see them again soon."

Gwyneth Wright reviewed: Wet-felting workshop with Fabulous Feltings

"I really loved my day spent with Jane in her riverside studio and brought home three amazing samples created under her supervision. Jane is a great teacher, friendly and answering all sorts of questions about wool, felting, her travels - she also makes a very tasty light lunch!! Will definitely be going back again to learn additional techniques and to have more laughs."

Fabulous Feltings responded:

"It was a pleasure to meet you Gwyneth - you are such a keen and enthusiatic 'learner' that teaching you was no trouble at all! You soaked up the instructions with ease and your samplers - especailly cobweb felting - were divine. I hope to see you again soon - there will always be a warm welcome and another tasty lunch."

Chris Brookes reviewed: Ecodyeing with Natural Dyes and Indigo. An Intermediate Course.

"An action packed day full of useful techniques. I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone. Judy is well prepared and knowledgeable. A lovely lunch was provided as a bonus. Please note that to get the best from the day you will need to have a basic knowledge of the subject before doing an intermediate course."

Jan hancock reviewed: Alcohol Ink Painting

"Fabulous, really interesting. I have had a wonderful day. Barbara is an excellent tutor. I have learnt alot today. I will definitely be attending another one of Barbaras courses. Cant wait."

Feltworld - Creative Arts responded:

"It was a pleasure to teach you. I loved your pictures and I am excited to see what you do next with your alcohol inks. :-)"

Natalie reviewed: Gelli Plate Printing Workshop by Clare Cosens

"I am so glad I found Clare and her workshops. It made the perfect gift for my mum and we had a lovely morning experimenting and getting creative! Clare is a fantastic teacher, her demonstrations were integral to learning the process and really informative. You don’t need any prior skills just some enthusiasm and the ability to play! We are already planning when we can return for the lampshade workshop. I’m so excited to share this printing technique with my A Level students :) leaving feeling very inspired thanks to Clare and her wonderful work!"

Clare Cosens Designs responded:

"Hi Natalie, Many thanks for kind words. I’m really glad you both enjoyed the workshop. I hope to see you both again soon. Many thanks, Clare x"

Steph B reviewed: Hand-Rolled Beeswax Candles

"Very enjoyable, good atmosphere. Clear explanation of how to use the beeswax sheets, and then plenty of time to play around and make our own candles."

Simon Bennett reviewed: Introduction to Green Wood Furniture Making - 2 Day Course in South Devon

"Brilliant 2 days with Peter and his team - highly recommended and as much a mindfulness break away as a wonderful introduction to green woodworking. Thanks very much!"

Lee Iggulden reviewed: Garment construction techniques - A beginners guide to sewing

"I absolutely loved this course. I started this course at the same time as the Pattern Cutting Sessions (Skirt / Bodice / Sleeve ) and it was instrumental in providing me with the confidence (and courage) to take this new found hobby further. Paula was welcoming and friendly, always with a coffee and a smile, waiting for you to arrive at her wonderful workshop/studio and Val was informative, helpful and nothing was too much trouble and if I got stuck, or couldn't work something out she was patient and understanding. I can recommend to anyone thinking about taking up sewing as a hobby (or wanting to make clothes) to do this course and it really is a good grounding in the basics of just about every sewing technique you will ever need. Lee Iggulden"

Lee Iggulden reviewed: Beginners Pattern Cutting Workshop - The Dress or Shirt Block

"Doing this workshop with Paula and Peter has helped me in so many ways. As a small business owner I was looking for a hobby that would help me to make some time for me as well help me to learn a new skill, something I have wanted to do for a long time. Well, what can I say - I booked onto the pattern cutting course and loved it so much I booked on the whole series of sessions and it has been such a wonderful. fun, creative and insightful experience. I have not only found a new hobby but now I am making my own clothes. Paula's workshop at the Cambria Costume House is clean, tidy and professional and you are welcomed with a smile and a coffee (teas are available too) and the sewing packs were a lovely touch. Peter, who is the course leader for this session, just loves to teach and it shines through - he really wants you to leave the session having learnt a thing or three and makes sure you can understand all the necessary steps you need to take to get your pattern created. I would 100% recommend this session to everyone, whether a beginner or a more advanced sewer. Lee Iggulden"

Tina Trowell reviewed: Creative Drawing Workshop for beginners in lovely Lawrenny

"This was my first experience of art classes and I can't wait to go again. Louise does the artwork at the same time as you which is a real help. She gives you space to find your own rhythm with periods of instruction. I had a very warm welcome and she immediately put me at ease. I'm looking forward to starting my second course with her next week. Thank you Louise."

Louise Burdett Artist responded:

"It was great to meet you Tina. You were a delight to teach, created some fabulous drawings, and I'm looking forward to seeing you for the life-drawing course this week. Louise x"

Jake Rowland reviewed: Ash splint basket workshop - 2 day

"I had a fantastic time on the two day ash splint basketry course! The course was really chilled and relaxed, and nothing was too much trouble. It was amazing to go through the whole basket making process; from log at the start of day 1 to basket at the end of day 2. Michelle is a natural teacher and it was great being able to understand the why as well as how of the different steps in the basket making process. Jack has a real wealth of knowledge of wood, its properties, management and uses at it was awesome to be able to tap into that for the weekend. We all had a great laugh and I came away with a basket I’m really proud of."

Fazey Woodcraft responded:

"Thanks Jake!"

Edna Leys reviewed: Beginners Pattern Cutting Workshop - The Dress or Shirt Block

"Peter and Paula are very welcoming and attentive. Peter took us step by step through the process of pattern making and using a calico practice piece we were able to check out whether our pattern had worked. Like me the participants were a bit uncertain that they were able to see the process through but we all achieved it successfully and as a bonus Peter showed us ways of adapting the basic pattern. I can’t recommend this course more highly"