BROWSING this site:
The LEFT COLUMN on the screen persists over all pages of the website. At TOP LEFT is the Ruca Designs logo, a square of Ruca-red fabric stretched over a circular stitching frame familiar to most needleworkers. A needle and thread creates stitches, with a final flourish forming the 'R' symbol. Click the logo from anywhere on the site to return to the 'home' page.
CENTER LEFT, below the logo are navigation links to various categories of information about Ruca Designs and to the products available. For convenience these links are repeated on the navigation bar that stretches across the FOOTER of each page.
At the LOWER LEFT corner of the screen is a repeating slide show of detail views selected from finished patterns.
The RIGHT COLUMN is a scrolling list of thumbnail images of all available designs in the category currently in focus. A color coded right edge shows the category of pattern - Orange for Cross-stitch, Mustard for Embroidery and Blue for Tapestry. The order of images in the scroller is from top to bottom the same as the sequence of designs pages when clicking 'Next' repeatedly. Dragging the scroll bar provides a quick preview of all the designs, and clicking on a thumbnail image opens the designs page with a large image centre screen.
The CENTER PANEL is where you can view images and information specific to the patterns. in groups, as in the 'Galleries' pages
Currently this site is best viewed on a SCREEN RESOLUTION of 1024x768 pixels or larger. For visitors with the Internet Explorer browser on a small screen PC, using the combined keystrokes of "CTRL"+"minus" several times in succession reduces the overall page size proportionally. Use "CTRL"+"plus" to return to normal. This behaviour is browser version specific, so experiment.
Following best modern practice, the layout and display of content on this site is designed in CSS using Mozilla's FireFox 3.5 browser and tested in Microsoft's Internet Explorer 8 browser for consistent display of content. Where possible and expedient, other browser versions are also used to test for display consistency. However, some discrepancies may occur, especially with older versions of browsers which do not recognize new web coding standards and practices. If you encounter irregular display of site content or other problems while browsing, upgrading your software to these preferred browser versions is recommended, not only for this site but for overall improvement and security of your entire web surfing experience.
Get a free download of latest versions of < FireFox > here and < Internet Explorer 8 > here. These are external hyper-links and open in a new window of your browser.
ACCESSIBILITY enhancements to assist the visually impaired may be added in time. If you are unable to view the site as you would prefer, then please use the < Contact Us > page to email details of your viewing circumstance and hardware and we will do our best to accommodate those, advising you by email.
Ruca Designs patterns are packaged in several forms, as :
- A 'virtual' package - a 'zip' file containing PDF format files for the user to print or have printed, sent by email or downloaded by the user, or
- Preprinted patterns and instructions, packaged and sent by mail. The required materials and tools may be obtained from your local art, craft or needlework retail suppliers.
- A cover page with a color image of the finished design, as seen on the design page on this website. This is a handy reference while executing the needlework.
- A fully detailed pattern chart consisting of a grid in which every block that is to be stitched contains a symbol representing the particular thread color to be used in that position of the grid. The chart is prepared to a size convenient to work with, and may be larger than the finished work. The grid is numbered for easy location of positions on the cloth. The chart may be 'tiled', printed across multiple sheets for convenience, in which case alignment indicators are present on the various 'tile' sheets, to ensure correct registration and matching.
- A thread list, which relates each thread color to a symbol used in the pattern. The thread color is identified by a commercial thread manufacturer's product number to ensure that consistent results are achieved. The designs are produced using the DMC range of thread colors, and a conversion chart between major brands is available if threads from other suppliers are used.
- "This web site" and "site" means : any content located on the domain www.ruca.co.za.
- "us" or "we" or "our" means : Ruca Designs and or the operators or owners of this web site or its content.
- "you" or "your" means : the person or legal entity you represent or belong to or operate that accesses this web site.
- "content" means : any visual or textual information displayed or accessible or downloadable via the pages of this web site.
Ruca Designs patterns consist of:
The required materials and tools may be obtained from your local art, craft or needlework retail suppliers.
Instructions on how to order patterns, payment methods and postage and shipping information are on the < Purchase Info > page.
Before using this web site please read these terms relating to your use of this web site carefully.
By accessing content on this web site, you acknowledge and agree to the terms and conditions of site usage and of purchase and use of products displayed on this web site, which terms and conditions may change at any time without notification. Where possible and appropriate, persons who have subscribed or registered user accounts will by notified via the email address provided by them of change in these terms and conditions. You further agree that you will not hold us responsible or liable for any direct or indirect loss or damages you may incur through or while using or as a consequence of accessing this web site.
You agree that submitting any information about your self is entirely voluntary and undertake to provide factual information, to update such information when it changes and not to impersonate any individual person or group of persons or legal entity real or fictitious.
You may not provide hyper-links to this web site without prior permission and may not link to this web site from any other site that contains or links to any other site containing illegal or slanderous or undesirable or profane content or promotes hatred or violence or illegal or undesirable or profane activity.
You acknowledge that without exception all content you may access on this web site is protected by international copyright laws and owned by Ruca Designs and or the various authors who created the content. You undertake to preserve and respect these rights and to refrain from copying, duplicating, distributing or reselling any of the content and to only use such material as you have rightfully purchased and only within the rights and manner afforded to you by such purchase.
We may use your contact details to inform you of news of products and offers and facilities available via this site. You may at any time unsubscribe from this service or request that information provided by you be updated or deleted from our records in part or in entirety.
This website may use 'cookies' to provide convenient services and secure user accounts.
You agree that the applicable laws are the laws of the Republic of South Africa (see the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act, 2002 at http://www.internet.org.za/ect_act.html et al) and agree that the owners and operators of the web site may at their sole discretion in the event of any legal action concerning any communication, action or transaction arising from your use of this web site elect that the applicable laws of that other country may apply for purposes of that legal action.
All content on this web site including images, patterns, text and visual appearance is protected by international copyright laws and owned by Ruca Designs and or the authors who created the content. Certain designs have been derived from copyright material by permission from the authors of that material. Copying, duplicating, distributing or reselling any of the content of this web site is illegal and infringes our rights and may not occur without written permission from us. Patterns and designs rightfully purchased may be used only within the rights and manner afforded by such purchase as described on or in that material.
Browsing of this web site occurs anonymously, that is, no personally identifiable information is required to view the content. The web server monitors general traffic patterns and site usage statistics, also without requiring or recording personally identifiable information. This monitoring is general practice on many web servers. This site may use these statistics to adapt and optimize the site structure and content to improve performance and the experience of visitors. This statistical data will never be sold, shared or disclosed to any third party unless required by law.
We respect your right to privacy. If, related to or for viewing or purchase of items displayed on this website, you communicate with us by email or submit information or messages via forms on this web site or register a user account, such information and communications will be kept confidential. We endeavour to apply prudent practice in the coding and securing of this web site which is hosted on a web server maintained and secured by a highly regarded commercial company. However, as data transmissions over the Internet can not be guaranteed totally secure, information you communicate to us by these methods is at your own risk and we advise you to exercise due caution. Such information will only be used for processing your requests and purchases and will not be sold, distributed or disclosed to others without your consent or unless required by law.
Your custom is valued and important to us and we endeavour at all times to protect privacy and confidentiality. Your personal information is held securely and processed, transmitted or shared with your consent only as may be necessary for successful transactions between us. We may use your contact detail to inform you of news of products and offers and facilities available via this site. You may at any time unsubscribe from this service or request that information provided by you be updated or deleted from our records in part or in entirety.
Online financial transactions requiring the entry of your financial account details take place in encrypted communications between your browser and a secure website operated by a third party and not on or by this web site. Therefore, while this third party site is linked to from this website and may have similar appearance to the pages on this website, these details are thus never disclosed to or accessible by us.
Links to content on other web sites are provided for information and convenience only and without warranty of security or validity of their content and these sites may have different policies regarding privacy and usage.
