Sunday 29 January 2012

Alice In Wonderland....

So the other day SP pal Alison informed me of an Alice In Wonderland exhibition at Tate Liverpool, only problem was it was coming to an end this weekend. So yesterday Alison, her significant other and myself (Kandy was busy helping at an SSRG roller derby bout) headed off to Liverpool.
The exhibition started on the ground floor with a few contemporary works inspired by the Alice stories. The only one that sticks in my mind is a series of neon light words hanging from the ceiling, from what we could gather these were just slang terms for vagina. It was incredibly 90s!

Then up to the 4th floor. The main room (or what I would call it, was a little bit confusing, no literature, cuts and going green meant lack of!) seemed to be more of a history of Lewis Carroll, with paintings by, of and inspired by him, photographs he took, pictures of the Liddell sisters (Alice and her two siblings).
To the left of that room, was probably my favourite part, original illustrations from the books, a collection of all the different illustrated books over the years and best of all original Alice MERCH!
Now Lewis Carroll was my kinda guy, he knew about merchandise, wooden toys, playing cards,
crockery!
Back in the main room, towards the end, was a collection of works by European surrealists with work loosely inspired by Alice. Which flowed into the next room with a collection of works by British surrealists.
What looked really amazing were a selection of films, that were in a small room off a corridor, which was obviously always busy and our hungry stomachs just couldn't sit it out, shame. So onto the next room which had selection of works from pop artists like Peter Blake and other works from the 60s/70s. One of my favourites were the three pieces from Adrian Piper:
There was also a collection of Alice inspired books, including a sci-fi one (that I want to read!) and this:
We headed on to look at more recent works which featured all sorts, paintings, illustrations, sculptures. A stand out piece for me was this etching (that I am useless and can't remember the artists name!)
We finished off and headed to the gift shop, where we we good and didn't spend a mint (lots of nice, but expensive things and who doesn't make badges?!?!).
Then left, feeling slightly cheated, but unsure as to why. The exhibition both not what we pictured, but then if we hadn't have gone, it would have been the raddest, weirdest, most psychedelic exhibition we never did see.
We stuffed our faces with the world's largest cheese on toast and the happy balance was restored!

Friday 20 January 2012

Tuesday 17 January 2012

It's Not A Fashion Statement, It's A F*CKIN DEATHWISH

So the whole purpose of this blog is to document the things, Kandy and I, as a unit, sometimes separately, as Sugar Paper, make and do. It's where we gush about the things we love and talk all things craft (OK probably a lot more popular culture than craft goes on).
So this blog post may seem a little out of place. But I like to post often, and right now what I'm making and doing isn't related to Sugar Paper, so excuse me just this once.


My feminism, it isn't a fashion statement.

This year I will be one step closer to thirty, which could and should probably mean a lot of things, but I'm more likely to be worrying about then lack of wall space I have for postcards, or when is the next MCR record out than what I should be doing for my age.

But recently I have taking time out to stop and look around me and think about being younger and how I have changed. Because as much as your teenage self would loath to admit it, you DO change, and I think i have grown up. Not in the expected terms, I don't have a career, I still live at home, I'm currently wearing hello kitty pyjamas.
But what I've always been afraid of is not growing up, but growing stale, growing complacent, growing out of being angry.

When you're a teenager you ARE angry. Quite often you don't even know why you're just royally pissed off, inwards, outwards, just out and out angry. You get older you realise you're still angry. Just a different kind of angry.

Only being angry isn't very becoming as you get older, or so I'm led to believe.
All those angry people I once knew seemed to have disappeared.Thrown away with their teenage memorabilia. The fight is won. sexism, racism, classicism, homophobia doesn't exist.

As A working class black female, I can tell you it does.

Growing up for me didn't and doesn't mean becoming comfortable, feeling that these issues no longer apply to me therefore are non existent. It means still being angry about these injustices, but just learning to direct that anger and channel it in a more productive and proactive way.

so, yeah, my feminism, it's not a fashion statement, it's a f*cking deathwish.

Tuesday 10 January 2012

WHY DON'T YOU MAKE A ZINE...

Whilst I'm on a stop motion kick, check out this video from Salford Zine Library....

Reading is sexy....

Stop motion. Colour blocking. organising. books. HEAVEN!

Wednesday 4 January 2012

TEN!!!!

So, 2011 seemed to be the year for the number ten.
My cat Ned turned ten, the Final Harry Potter was released, ten years since the first one, it was ten years since 9/11 (and ten years to that day my sister graduated), My Chemical Romance were ten years old, ten years since Le Tigre's Feminist Sweepstakes was released, ten years since I left school (OK that last one's a lie, it was 11 years!).


But Screw all that 2k12 is the year for important ten related things as...
SUGAR PAPER WILL RELEASE IT'S TENTH ISSUE!!

I'm super stoked as I don't think I've ever produced a zine past it's third issue, I'm sure we will celebrate some way.
Also...
It will be ten years since The Radical Cheerleaders Of The North formed. This might also be cause for celebration, perhaps in the form of a reformation, watch this space......

Sunday 1 January 2012

Kandy: My year in lists

...what Seleena said about concentrating on the positives, I'm all about the positives! So here are my 2011 highlights!!! Probs not chronological and defnintly some repititions from Seleena's list.

YSP trips
Trip to Roller Derby tournament where I fell in love with New Skids on the block
Met and got tattooed by the lovely and awesomely talented Sunny Buick
Visited portmeirion and had an all round awesome adventure in Wales
Public Roller Derby debut
Harry Potter premiere with Holly Horcrux
Knitted NanciesWrote a knitting pattern for a book
Roller Skated a Marathon
Sugar papers 7 & 8
Filey seaside and rock factory trip
Belgium - waffles, chocolate and my first festival experience

I'm sure there are lots of things I'm missing off, but looking back at this, there were some pretty good parts to 2011, bring on 2012!!!


Seleena: My Year In Lists....

So, 2011 had it's fair share of ups and downs, for friends, family and myself, it seemed everybody was falling apart at the seams (you may be aware I started the year of with a long, lingering nasty eye infection, not a good start!). But who wants to dwell on the bad, we want to remember the good.
So here it is, my high points of 2011, a paragraph of positives, my year in lists... (in chronological order, obvs!)

Grrrl gang fun at YSP*Diego Luna*Quitting a job I hate telling my boss she's a dick*Finding a new job pretty quickly*Making bold statements calling myself an artist*TEAM KILLJOY*Craft Fairs*Zine Fairs*TEAM CARAVAN*(Best)Welsh birthday*Portmerion*Tap dance debut*Family do*Zine making*Nickie's birthday otters*Impromptu trip to Belgium*JEW & MCR (in daylight)*Grant Morrison*Surprising pals in London at Bad Rep*PARIS* Parisienne fun times with me besties*Getting tattooed by SUNNY BUICK*TBS*Kandy's Derby debut*Pinup Pop up bowling*HALLOWEEN!!*Dananananaykroyd*Eating*Making shit*Charlotte's Christmas tree pizza & Jam*Home Alone at the cinema*Christmas*Christmas cooking*YSP.


Hoping for many more adventures in 2012!
EDIT: I FORGOT ABOUT MY CRAFT BOOK DEBUT!!!