Hello & Welcome!
Rita Flower - Designer
April 2009
The whole concept of The Paper Craft Tutor grew from the voluntary work that I do in the community - teaching paper crafts.
I qualified as an Adult Education Teacher in June 2007, specialising in Microsoft computer programs, but my only true love is crafts, so while I was studying for the qualification I looked around for an avenue where I could use my new skills to help establish some craft groups locally.
Initially I volunteered with many charitable organisations, but was eventually 'adopted' by Age UK - North Tyneside & the partnership has gone from strength to strength.
During the past 5 years or so that I have been associated with the charity, I have designed and created an extensive portfolio of projects, papers and elements that I use with the groups I teach.
This site was initially intended to become an extension of my group teaching, offering these totally original projects - backing sheets, templates and other elements - to download for free, not just for my groups, but for anyone who wishes to make use of them.
The purpose of this site, from my point of view, is to offer a service that is unique, basically nothing on this site can be obtained elsewhere. It also give me the opportunity to 'do something' with all of the designs I create, rather than just keeping them in files on the computer.
Anyhow, quite simply I love every aspect of what I do, from creating and designing the papers, the projects and the other elements to working with them amongst my groups. I would happily teach a hundred people at a time, though getting so many interested parties in one place at one time is almost impossible! So this website is my solution!
I have been contacted by many tutors & teachers from around the world over the years - kindly requesting my permission to use the designs as teaching aids with their groups. I wholeheartedly support anyone whose love of crafting enables them to pass on their skills to others. After all, that is exactly what I am trying to do here.
I would be delighted if you chose to create any or all of the projects or use any or all of my designs to make your own projects to sell for yourself or for your charity, the only thing I ask is that you don't print stuff directly from this site to sell - I give it to you freely, so please respect my wishes and do the same!
As you use the site you may notice that I create almost everything against a white background, although it would look far prettier if I didn't. I deliberately do this to save on printer ink, which is way too expensive to begin with! But there is nothing stopping you printing them off onto coloured paper, or even patterned paper in some cases?
There is only one golden rule to remember when using this site - download & save to your computer anything you may decide to use in the future - as I constantly dump older stuff to make room for new stuff & when it is gone, it has gone for good!
Although I do test each of the links as I upload them, sometimes they do come adrift - if you come across any PLEASE let me know - so I can fix it. Thanx!
Looking ahead.......
I guess the optimist in me would say that in ten years from now I hope to be doing pretty much what I am doing now, though maybe bringing the craft groups here to me - (oh! how I dream of a posh shed in the garden to use as a studio, but to be honest an old water tight caravan would probably do the job) - rather than my travelling to them, and maybe to have launched a series of books/craft CD's to cover the cost of either of the above, but otherwise I am just happy to have finally found my niche in life!
Don't you sometimes think that your life was always destined to end up right here, right now - no matter what else you did along the way? Or is that just me?
One final note:
I always intended to make these dedications in my first book, but just in case I never get the chance to do it.........
I will always regret never having had the confidence to come to the window!
And In Loving Memory of my Tykie xXx
a 'baby' who had real attitude!
Rita
