Latest reviews

Lindsey Seymour reviewed: Copper Foil Technique Stained Glass

"I had a brilliant day, went through all the stages required to produce a finished article (I came home with three). Amanda was a very good teacher and had some good tips which I'll remember. There was a good balance between letting you do it yourself, but also providing assistance where required. As the session was on a one to one basis Amanda was able to give her full attention. Highly recommended. Thanks Amanda."

Stephanie Harman reviewed: Lit Paper Mache Angel Wings Wall Art Workshop

"I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sarah’s angel wings workshop. I learned so much and was very much inspired by Sarah’s knowledge. It was a great atmosphere and I found the tuition very helpful. I would really recommend this excellent workshop."

SILVIA ANTOLIN reviewed: 2 day felt Fedora hat course

"I loved the two days felt hat course. Now I know how the felt hats are made. Elena is amazing! In this course with Elena I learnt the technique of making a felt hat having a fantastic result. It was a beautiful experience. I am ready for the next course. Everybody can make a hat! Thank very much Elena."

Rob reviewed: Fused glass day course - beginners/intermediate

"This was a brilliant gift we received. We had a wonderful day with Nicky, learning about glass fusion whilst exploring our artistic hidden talents. We were extremely impressed with the finished artwork and the tuition we received. Thank you Nicky."

John Williamson reviewed: Watercolour Landscapes with Rob Nelmes

"Sue was a great host and cook for this workshop. Rob is a wonderful teacher and he really helped me see what I need to do to improve my watercolour paintings. I'm a beginner, so I needed lots of patient guidance and Rob was certainly up to the task. If you are just starting out, take this course. Thanks again for a great learning experience!"

Christine James reviewed: Silver Metal Clay –Stone setting techniques, Lancaster, Lancashire

"I had yet another fantastic day with Rachel, this is the third course I have been on she is an excellent teacher and encouraged me to continue to develop my skills. I can’t wait till the next one. Thanks Rachel"

Rachel Hearne Jewellery School responded:

"Thank you Christine it was wonderful to have you and and look forward to seeing you in future. Your stone set pendant turned out gorgeous!"

Cheryl B reviewed: Fused Glass workshops at Bere Alston, near Tavistock, Devon

"A really lovely, creative and productive day. As a TOTAL novice I was apprehensive at first but Wendy is an excellent teacher and I was able to produce an interesting piece of work (hopefully!). Wendy is a very welcoming and encouraging tutor and her studio is a fantastic workspace; spacious, clean and very organised. She adhered to all the Covid Protocols and it was lovely to be able to have such an experience and learn a new skill after such strange times. Thank you Wendy :)"

Akiko Hickey reviewed: Glass blowing for beginners with Jon Lewis

"An excellent day with Jon learning about glass. There were only two on the course so we got plenty of tuition and guidance. Jon has the patience of a saint, is clearly passionate about his craft and his knowledge is immense. Although high temperatures are involved it felt safe in the studio. Seeing pizza cook in about a minute in the cooler annealing kiln was an indication of the temperatures involved! Altogether an excellent course which I can recommend highly!"

Dave Jarvis reviewed: Full day leather craft workshop

"Hi Rosanna, I just wanted to thank you for a wonderful and interesting one day workshop that I attended on Wednesday (19th May). I'm really pleased with what I achieved with the four items that I made and it's certainly spurred me on to do more things and try out new ideas. Your advice on the day was invaluable and I look forward to maybe attending another course in the near future. Thanks again for being the perfect host and for tolerating the celebrity banter!? Best regards, Dave"

Rachel reviewed: Mosaics for Beginners - West Sussex

"Thoroughly enjoyed some time out for myself, (it was my birthday treat) making a a mosaic of a beach hut. Something simple that I could finish in four hours, frame & put on my wall. It's beautiful & I just love it. Wendy was lovely, very friendly & helpful. I felt relaxed. Gorgeous cosy little studio too!"

Gillian reviewed: Large outdoor plaster hare sculpture kit

"My sister bought me one of your sculpture workshop visit for my birthday but alas with lock down we were unable to attend. We then decided to try making these at home. Just had to let you know we both had so much fun and we are pleased with our finished hares. I have forward some pictures for you to see. We would definitely recommend this product to anybody. We found the instructions easy to follow and had plenty of the supplied products. I would advise anyone to read information supplied well and not to rush things. We done ours over three sittings which suited us."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you so much Gillian! I've popped one of your photo's (foil stage) onto the Craft Course page of the Large Hare Kit. I agree splitting up the times over a few stages is a great idea. It was a pity we could not meet in person, but it's lovely to know you enjoyed the kit. Jo x"

Julie Curran reviewed: French Polishing & Woodcare - Beginners Course - 1 Day

"I had a fantastic day with Ollie. He told me french polishing was a bit of a rollercoaster and he was right. Throughout the course of the day we transformed the £20 table I bought at a junkshop into a really beautiful looking piece. I could never have believed we would accomplish so much in a short space of time. Ollie is knowledgeable, patient and easy going at the same time. I will be rebooking!! Thanks Ollie."

Helen Tomes reviewed: Stained glass course - 2 day

"I thoroughly enjoyed this two day workshop. Karen was an excellent and patient teacher, who was on hand at all times - giving assistance if asked, but otherwise leaving me feeling that I had achieved my stained glass panel all on my own! This would be suitable for a beginner, or anyone who has done a little stained glass work in the past and needs a refresher. Having refreshments provided was a bonus too. I felt safe in the reduced size group. Give it a go!"

Redcurrant Glass responded:

"thanks for your lovely review Karen"

Ruth Bostock reviewed: A fresco painting workshop with artist Puy Soden

"What a great way to spend a morning! I always say I’m not a creative person, but this workshop had me completely absorbed. Puy is so positive and encouraging - she gives you confidence to experiment, even when you’re out of your comfort zone. Plus, it was a lot of fun. I’ll definitely be recommending it to my arty and non-arty friends."

Soden Arts responded:

"Hi Ruth, Thank you very much for your great review. It was a joy and a privilege to witness your sensitive exploration of the materials, and to see you push your ideas by testing different ways of using the pigments and brushes. I'm really glad you enjoyed it, and hope that you might now consider yourself to be more creative than you'd previously thought! You looked very engaged in a wonderfully creative process to me. Thank you again. Puy"

Sue & Sam reviewed: Candle Making Workshop with Bilsington Priory Afternoon Tea

"We finally arrived at a wonderful location - a year late for obvious reasons. Location rustic, rural and full of history. Great relaxed atmosphere and course took place inside the Priory. Karen welcomed us with unlimited drinks. Introductions over Karen gave a chat on candle care and burning techniques (I never realised there was a procedure to allow a candle to burn flat!) A delightful afternoon tea (both vegetarian and classic) served in a comfortable, sunny, conservatory by Libby who is a pleasure to chat with. My daughter and I shared a lovely day together, laughing, in good company and making some beautiful candles to take home. Thank you Karen for persevering with the dates, making us all feel comfortable and sharing your talent"

The Aromatic Candle Co responded:

"Sue & Sam, what can i say but thank you so so much for your patience! It was an absolute delight to meet you both at last and I'm thrilled that you had a lovely day. Bilsington Priory is a stunning location, a bit of escapism from daily life! I hope you enjoy your creations and hope we meet again in the future. Best Wishes Karen"

Chris Wright reviewed: Abstract Art Workshop with Jo Garden Art in a beautiful rural Norfolk/Suffolk border setting

"This was an excellent introductory course. Well explained with plenty of guidance. Very good art, room, ambience and Materials. Impressive setting and friendly encouragement."

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you Chris - really glad you enjoyed the experience and you created a great piece of art 'The Pilgrims' as christened by the group! Jo x"

Nigel Green reviewed: Five day woodwork course - tools

"Excellent course(Course 1). The instruction and help over the week was very good, introducing a variety of new skills, techniques and use of workshop equipment. It was very satisfying to take home a finished course project (coffee table). Looking forward to Course 2."

Jacobo reviewed: Woodcarving for beginners - two day course in Suffolk

"I had done some woodcarving by myself in the past few months, but this course is just what I needed. Gerry was an excellent teacher and gave many useful comments."

Sally Austin reviewed: Abstract Art Workshop with Jo Garden Art in a beautiful rural Norfolk/Suffolk border setting

"A wonderful workshop with Jo in an idyllic setting. Jo is a natural host, she exudes enthusiasm for her craft and encourages participants to ‘go their own way’. Everyone produced their own masterpiece, the company was fun and the whole experience was relaxing and I was left with two pieces of artwork I’m happy to be hanging on the wall. Joyous!"

Jo Garden Art responded:

"Thank you so much Sally ;-) Such a lovely day with lovely people - and fabulous art work taken home! Jo x"

Boo Sutcliffe reviewed: A fresco painting workshop with artist Puy Soden

"Interesting, relaxing and fun. I really enjoyed this workshop. It was fascinating to learn about the techniques involved and the history of this medium, but most of all it was great to get stuck in and have a go. Puy is very likeable and she did a great job of helping us to relax and explore our creativity. I loved her hands-on approach. Rather than fixating on the end result, like most artists, she showed us how important it is to be in the moment and to fully enjoy the artistic process in your own way. I found this to be a very mindful approach to art that was also really enjoyable."

Soden Arts responded:

"Hi Boo. I am very grateful for your review and positive feedback, thank you. My goal is to enable more people to enjoy process-focused, materials-led art-making, and the way you enjoyed immersion in your own creative process is what it's all about! I felt honoured to enable your experimentation with the specialist materials and I'm really glad you had a rewarding, enjoyable experience. Thank you again. Puy"

Ciaran reviewed: Chair making on Camb/Suffolk border

"The chair making course was great fun and even more informative, would recommend to anyone trying to improve their woodworking skills and will definitely be looking at other courses with Bill in the future"

Helen Walkington reviewed: An Introduction to Ecoprinting

"A stunning day course with a huge number of outputs on paper and fabrics of all types. Such a delightful insight into plant materials and their incredible properties. Fantastic pace to the day and a stellar teacher. Thank you so much."

Gail Foster reviewed: Wet Felting Workshop: Introduction to 2D Pictures and 3D Construction(Beginners)

"Fantastic course which we enjoyed very much. Lots of laughs throughout made it a very relaxing atmosphere, where creativity was unleashed! Sally has plenty of different materials and media to work with and is knowledgeable about differing fleece qualities. We came away having enhanced our skills and feeling excited about tackling our next projects. Sally is a super teacher and will become a firm friend in the future."

Craft Workshops responded:

"Thank you Gail - it was lovely to meet you and I am glad you enjoyed the Workshop. Look forward to seeing you again very soon :)"

Sue and Sally reviewed: Introduction to Lino Printing in Cambridgeshire

"This was a birthday treat and what a lovely way to spend a wet Saturday getting so creative and managing to produce a good selection of coloured prints. Judith was everything you would wish for as she was an excellent teacher and encouraging us all the way through the process, in her kind and friendly manner. Like me, don't worry if you cannot draw as you will leave with something handmade and unique to you. The studio had a lovely atmosphere and all covid regulations were adhered to."

print paper stitch experiences responded:

"Dear Sue and Sally, Thank you very much for taking the time to write your lovely, positive review; very much appreciated. It was a pleasure to spend the day with you both. All the best, Judith x"

Debbie Dainton reviewed: Watercolour techniques for all - 4 week online course Tuesday evenings via Zoom

"Fantastic! Purnima is thorough, patient and fun in her approach to teaching. I’ve learnt lots and will be signing up for more classes."