Planet Ruby Starrs

The world feels for a short time to be returning to something resembling 'normal'  - it wont be for long for as much as I try to avoid the news I am keeping an eye on the covid updates and fear the second wave is about to break - so while being very careful we are making the most of not being in lockdown and my family are visiting - Dr Fred has escaped to do some walking a esoteric crag hunting in Wales  - he was very fortunate to find a campsite with suitable private facilities - and my clan are having some down time all together.  Today we went to Beamish - a very fab day out and in some ways better for having limited numbers.  Quite a bit of it wasnt open but there was still more than enough to entertain us and for the most time social distancing was very evident - as were masks and people being careful and responsible.  we didn't feel at risk at all, staff were very courteously reminding visitors about masks and cleaning tables, railings counters - everythin...

...to the lonely sea and the sky... (John Masefield) I've been pining for the sea for quite a few weeks now - growing up in land locked Leeds I never realised how wonderful living by the sea would be - Then we moved to Northumberland - and lived near the sea- it was a liberating feeling of spaciousness - sometimes of desolation and always of tranquility and peace.  I have found walking on the beach to be one of life's greatest pleasures and when we moved back in land I found I missed it more than I ever could of imagined...  We took a van trip to South Gare Redcar - there were no tall ships just huger tankers -  it was a wee bit grey for a July day but we managed to miss the rain and had a lovely uninterrupted walk on the beach listening to the gulls screech and the waves make chiming sounds as they rushed into the sands.  It was low tide and there were a few people about - not many but that's hardly surprising as it's not a scenic beach - its interesting with the va...

I am unashamelby promoting my Arts Thread page -please take a look and appreciate if you would like to - this profile is my entry to the Next Gen Awards Premier Vision..... https://www.artsthread.com/portfolios/juxtaposition-next-gen/ There are quite a few of my peers on the Art Thread pages who are worth exploring - check out portfolios for the Northern School of Art..  It's a compilation of some of my work form the last year in Uni showing my original drawings - some development and some of my final designs - it was hard to choose what to put in and leave out - it was all so enjoyable but I have tried to put my favourites in an and show how the final designs emerged Trouble is I have lived and breathed this work for the last 9 months and I'm starting to get weary of looking at it as, I suspect, other people are ha ha - and it's hard to have 'fresh' eyes - I'm feeling some new work is beckoning.... Thanks to everyone who has supported me with this work and enco...

I'm struggling to be mindful its summer!!!! Our heating is on a timer thermostat thingy and it keeps coming on - that's ridiculous in July!!!  I have managed to disable it but found that one evening last week we lit the fire!!!  Allegedly its good for the garden but means our social contact is still limited as we really only entertain outside still being careful about the world at large. This didn't stop us going down to Leeds last week to deliver a few bits and pieces to my daughter and to meet up with some old friends who we hadn't seen for nearly a year - we ended up camping out in another friends living room eating fish and chips and sitting as far apart as we could - its a funny world we are living in and I find not being able to hug my besties quite difficult!!!  It was very good to catch up and see some different faces. While we were in Leeds we took the opportunity to have a wee reckie at the stuff we have stored down there - unsurprisingly there was a lot of ru...

My Degree Results are in and I'm very pleased to announce I have graduated with a First Class Honours Degree in Textiles and Surface design - never in my wildest dreams did I imagine I would do so well when so much of the course work involved technology and computer aided design!!!!  Anyone who has followed this blog will understand the ups and downs, tears and faffing I have had getting to grips with Photoshop - sheer determination made me keep going plus as I got more confident I realised just how much making use of CAD could enhance my work and how mastering it became a personal challenge!!! So it is done - I have overcome an incredible amount of technology and my slamitinRubystarrs brain is full - but this is not quite the end yet.  I have been fortunate to be nominated for NextGen Awards Premier Vision - this is a chance to be seen by all the 'right' people in the design industry - quite who the 'right' people are I'm not entirely sure but it is a fabulous ...