Planet Ruby Starrs

Happy Samhain - Autumn is here and the ancient Samhain festival celebrating the end of summer is now replaced with the over hyped, over priced, over partied Halloween.... deck the streets with giant spiders and witches galore - good fun I suppose but I wonder how many people know about  the history, significance and tradition of lighting fires and dressing up in costume and trick or treating. However you choose or not choose to acknowledge this time of year it can't be denied that it is an occasion steeped in fascinating history. In days of old it was about the end of the warm months, laying down tools, the end of growth, the beginning of winter, a time to give thanks for the years harvest   - and allegedly a window in the year when it as easier to commune with the Otherworld!    Not all the Otherworld were 'goodies' so often costumes and masks were worn to confuse the spirits and jack o'lanterns and bonfires were lit to guide and also potentially scar...

Another fleeting trip to Leeds to deliver family home and then we carried on down south to see the rest of the mob, Dr Freds side of the family, all very pleasant, we were entertained welland it was great to catch up its been too long since I went down.  The trip through Leeds necessitated me to spend the night on my daughters sofa - which was fine but I couldn't dwell too much on who (or should that be whom)I shared a room with...... satsuma the snake this is one of six tarantulas my favourite tailless ( but growing in nicely) gecko and she didn't bother to tell me the snake escapes on a fairly regular basis!!!!!!

Family visit meaning a house FULL of Duplo, felt tips, teddies, Peppa Pig, sandy shoes and noise!!!!!  There has been a lot of posing, sitting and dancing on the dining room table singing twinkle twinkle by our two year old (two on Thursday how time flies!!)   Our rather boistrous 8 year old has learnt to knit, baked bread, stirred the Christmas cake made wishes for all and sundry - one is never enough!! - and actually spent some quiet time painting and designing some picture frames.  (takes after her Nana in the making department). We went to Woodhorn Mining Museum to count pumpkins set in and around the permanent displays learning a little bit about mining as we went along.  We ran about on Alnmouth beach like demented beings and then cooked sausages in the van for lunch. My youngest granddaughter was fascinated with the horses on the farm - well really the whole visit is a treat for two small city girls - lots of space and beach to run about...

I don't do shopping much these days.. but it was great to have a proper Yorkshire day out with a good friend first checking out Dewsbury Fab Works Mill shop for fabric (yes I know I'm not supposed to be buying fabric...) I didn't buy much just lots of ribbon - then a quick pit stop at Batley for Red Brick Mills and we finally drove across the county to Salts Mill when after a 'ladies that lunch' experience we had a mosey around the mill and a quick gander around the Hockney Gallery always a treat.  So a whole day devoted to Yorkshire Mills and glorious buildings and landscapes.

Kneehigh Theatre are just fabulous!! not much more I can say really...... I whizzed down to the West Yorkshire Playhouse to take in the latest Kneehigh Theatre touring production 'The Tin Drum' - an amazing interpretation of the book by Gunter Grass. To say it was riotous would be an understatement- in true Kneehigh fashion it was truly splendid, combining the chilling horror of a war torn landscape with humour and poignancy.  Written by Carl Grose, directed by Mike Shepard, with a sound track by Charles Hazelwood - it was loud and crazy manic and very entertaining.  It retold the story, in a totally engrossing way, of Oskar growing up - or more to the point Oskar 'not' growing up surrounded by war and chaos, and his evidently complicated family life - overseen by a dominant granny. The cast, as always, danced, sang, acted, and romped with non stop energy and  Oskar, portrayed using a puppet, added a further blank chilling aspect to the proceedings. Yet as the pl...

Busy day baking... 3 loaves, a fairly unsuccessful honey spice cake (it tastes ok but is only about and inch thick), bear and moose ginger biscuits, a massive lasagna and chicken casserole to be devoured by visiting family over the next week. Goodness me - I'm a domestic goddess!!!!  To be honest I've never really got used to just cooking for two..... so really happy to be bulk baking and cooking for a potential army! Life is very family oriented at the moment, busy catching up and sharing summer stories, last weekend my lovely niece and her family came to stay (very tidy) and this coming week my best girls are coming up from Leeds (very untidy) so it will be chaos but lots of drawing and baking especially if the weather doesn't pick up making the beach a less attractive option (unless you are 8 years old).  when Hotel North Toggie closes we are heading south to visit Dr Freds mum and sister, a serious hike from here but a nice change of scenery and more opportunities f...

Yesterday I spent a very therapeutic and educational day at Gallery Forty5 in Feltham learning the basic skills of lino printing.  I had tried this about 3 years ago and was spectacularly unsuccessful which dampened my enthusiasm.  The day long course run by Diana Fitzpatrick made me understand that there are tips which help it work which I hadn't been aware of and working along side a small talented and enthusiastic group we produced some personal masterpieces.   It was a great days work in a class which went from quiet contemplation and intense concentration to non stop chat and excitement as the first prints started to emerge.  What always fascinates me it the way everyone chooses to do something different - there are varied levels of complexity and design but every single piece of work emerges as a lovely piece of art and is eagerly shared across the group giving support and inspiration for the potential next piece. I choose to keep my designs really ...

Having finally got over the dreaded jet lag, which the like I have never experienced before... I have settled back into a complete lack of routine but have non the less been very busy.   Quite by accident I acquired a new (to me) dining table from a site on Facebook, a freebie in need of some TLC.   before Actually it was in very good nick but I felt it needed a Ruby Starrs makeover so after a little bit of moseying around on the internet I discovered a locally produced chalk paint - there are some very funky colours  - that was the hardest bit trying to decided which colour... at first I thought I would go all grown up and do it cream but the inner Ruby won out and its now a very tasteful delphinium blue and zebra print... the chalk paint was easy to apply and gave a lovely matt finish, the sealer was more difficult to master but in the end I got the hang of it and it looks grand!!! after I've always fancied a round table and the best thi...

Finally recovered from a lovely weekend in Leeds staying with various friends, visiting family, all delivering wonderful hospitality.  I was belatedly celebrating my birthday so I was spoiled rotten and received lots of really lovely presents including amazing shoes, a parrot onesie, jewellry and lots of other fab things.  We had a great meal out with friends and family at Jinos Thai restaurant in Headingley - drinks before and after at a friends house and generally a good time was had by all.  Too much fizzy wine possibly but then again big birthdays only happen rarely.... I completely forgot to take any photographs to record the occasion so the only thing I can offer here is a picture of my completely fantabulous shoes - a gift from my friends in Leeds. - I'll spare you the parrot onesie....