Colouring Outside The Lines #7

It's fairly well documented on this blog that Colouring outside the Lines is my favourite zine (and editor Melanie one of my favourite people)
So you can imagine my excitement when issue 7 landed on my door mat. But can you imagine my excitement when I got interviewed for it!!!!!!

This issue is slightly different to previous ones, it still features in depth interviews with all different types of female artist, but these artists all happen to be people Melanie knows on a personal level, basically she interviewed her mates, I'm one of them as are two of my besties Kandy Diamond and Alison Erika Forde.

I urge anyone who is interested in art, an artist themselves or is just really nosey and likes to hear about peoples lives, to get yourselves a copy.

GET IT HERE!

Alison Erika Forde; There's nothing for you here

Last weekend I headed to Bury Art museum to the opening of a new exhibition there by my bff (and favourite artist) Alison...

There's nothing for you here is a collection of old and new works featuring brown ladies, animals, trees and creatures painted on all manner of things from vintage mirrors, cupboard doors, second hand pictures and pieces of wood!

Even though there is definitely Alison's signature style on everything, each piece is different.
Two of my favourite pieces were new works , A girl of Trinidad, which is a portrait of a lady on a wooden souvenir and Speak no evil, a collection of large side profiles silhouettes painted in a wood effect on cardboard.

The title of the exhibition comes from cult TV show The League of Gentlemen and just like the show itself, Alison's works are a touch of the gross, some sadness and mischievous but always served with humour!

The exhibition runs until 20 February.

MORE INFO HERE!!

The month of May and all the fun things it brings....

Just dusting the cobwebs off this blog! Posting is slow these days, I think now we are in the 5th month I can't blame my slowness on 'getting over working retail at Christmas' (note to self I can't keep using this excuse for all areas of life!)

We should be making a start on Sugar paper #15 right now, but we aren't, we half a list! maybe when the sun appears so will the zine!
I always look forward to May though, mostly because my birthday is the 1st and who doesn't love birthdays?!?!?

I started this month in Amsterdam, celebrating Alison's 30th birthday. I had a great time, looking at art, relaxing on canal boats, getting exited by things that glow under UV, hanging with friends!

I celebrated by birthday a day late with a trip to Jodrell Bank where I stood in fron of the Lovell telescope on the 2nd of May (this is a reference for Placebo fans there!) then went home and had a 90s Leo D film sleepover, because Romeo and Juliet is the best!

Now that is all over I can get excited (and ready!) for the rest of  May.
Seeing bands (The Julie Ruin and BABES IN TOYLAND!!!!!!) and soaking up zines! Sadly, as hard as I tried to fit it in, we won't be at DIY Cultures in London, but we will be at North West Zine Fest in Manchester!!!!!

Men Who Like Women Who Smell Of Their Jobs

Thursday saw us attend the opening of all round art babe Alison Erika Forde's new exhibition, Men Who Like Women Who Smell Of Their Jobs*

The show is part of Manchester Literature festival and is a collaborative effort from Alison and writer David Gaffney.
Alison took inspiration from some of David's short stories in his Sawn-off Tales collection.
It's really interesting to see her work using the imagination of someone else, characters that weren't born from her brain but yet still her interpretation of them and undoubtedly her style.
The work is displayed with each short story that inspired it and is housed in the beautiful building that is The John Rylands library.
Opening night had electronic duo O>L>A playing music inspired by both the stories and the paintings, and even the venue. And it was a perfect fit to browse the works in such a decadent place as they played!

Here are a couple of not very good pictures I took (sorry Alison!)

 

The show runs until the end of January so there is no excuse not to check it out (especially if you have never been in John Rylands!)

When: Now- 31 January 2015 (Sun-Mon 12-5. Tue-Sat 10-5)
Where: John Rylands, Deansgate, Manchester.

*I spent a lot of the night joking about how I am indeed a woman who smells like her job A LOT!(I work at Lush!)

Finding The Value

Friday night saw me taking a roadtrip to York for the opening of Finding The Value A group exhinition that features some new work by Alison Erika Forde.

The exhibition is made up of five artists(Andrew Bracey, Alison Erika Forde, Yvette Hawkins, Susie Macmurray and Simon Venus) and is in York St.Mary's, an old church that is an absolutely beautiful place.
Finding The Value see's the artists take items from the Madsen collection (which was left to Yorks museum trust by Peter Madsen, a collection full of paintings, sculptures, works on paper and much more) and create new works in response to those items they chose.

If anyone know's of Alison's work, you already know she loves to paint on found objects, old prints from charity shops, cupboard doors, whatever takes her fancy, so this was right up her street!
Alison did say she had never worked onto originals before so found it a little daunting.
Where she usually dreams up all manner of charcters, this time she incorparoted charceters from items she found in the collection, working on paitings, sculptures, tapestry works and an old scroll roll with a list full of ministers!

I know I am biased but it was all AMAZING! I love seeing everything she does, getting my face in her paitings, blowing my mind at how tiny she can paint and just getting lost in it all!

It's definitely worth a visit for her art, the other's art and the building alone!
Runs until 2nd November.

My year in lists. (Seleena!!!!)

My year in lists. MY YEAR IN POSI POINTS!

2013: unlucky for some.
It's this time of year you think about all the crap stuff that's happened in the past 364 days. It has seemed a weird one. I wasn't even excited about my birthday this year and that's NEVER happened before.
My Grandad passed away, my favourite band ended and I got mugged. I saw many friends and loved ones struggle with money/health/life in general.
But do you know what, I'm still here and my hair looks fucking awesome! So as reminder to mostly myself here's all the good shit from this funny year...

I got my first solo exhibition! Yeah you know it, I'm like a proper artist now. Ok so it was upstairs of a library next to the public toilets in some small town outside of Manchester, but it was mine.
I also discovered the joys of working tax credits, so gonna be trying out this artist thing for a while longer!

ZINES!! every year I go oh I made some zines and get a big chufty because of it, but I don't think I don't ever wanna make zines. Obviously there were more issues of Sugar Paper, I probably made some others too, dunno how many, maybe a couple. Definitely more next year. But what I'm most pleased by is my friend Em and I finally got Poor Lass zine off the ground.
A collective zine featuring stories on various subjects from the mouths of actual real life working class folk! The response we have got for the zine is so good and I hope it goes on to GREAT things!

Dressing up was good for me this year. I was well into my Halloween costume (Oblina from Aaaah Real Monsters) and for one of my bff Nick's birthday we dressed up as Romy and Michele. But my favourite was Cher and Dionne from Clueless.
For as long as I can remember, Kandy and I have joked about dressing up as everyone's favourite valley girls. 2013 was the yea we finally did it
And because we wanna do it again, we are totally available to hire for public appearances (not even joking).

One solo exhibition wasn't enough so I formed an art collective with Kandy and Alison and next thing you know Yiiikes! have an art show! The glowing world of Snotboobs and the Severed Toe was one of the most fun things I ever got to work on, keep on eye on us for more in 2k14!

Slightly related to Yiiikes! I got a drum kit, I started off real good and practiced loads then I got busy, it became 'Christmas in retail' months before it was even Christmas and I haven't had my drums out for a while. But I will sort that out in 2014, the year I don't give up after a day on a musical instrument!

We went to Indietracks fro the 3rd time this year and had a blast. Took along my oldest friend and her little sister, had fun times with my favourite lasses from Leeds, Mel and Amy, ran a radical Cheerleading workshop, and filled a teenage dream of seeing Helen Love live. GLITTER CANONS!!!

And of course got some rad hangouts with my friends and family (never enough though!). And got to feel super proud seeing my loved ones do awesome shit from making zines and books, to exhibiting stuff to running cool businesses, to just being AWESOME!

I definitely didn't do enough dancing this year, I didn't master wings (in tap). But I did have blue hair for the first time ever (I know right).

Anyway enough about my hair, looking forward to the adventures 2014 has in store for me!

Grayson Perry's The Vanity of Small Differences

Friday evening Kandy and I made our way to Manchester Art Gallery to see the latest Grayson Perry exhibition, a series of large tapestries entitled 'The vanity of Small Differences'.

They involve some form of craft, are brightly coloured AND about class, so of course I am going to love them!

Inspired by Hogarth's A rake's Progress (a series of 18th century paintings about someone who comes into a lot of money, wastes it and ends up having a shitty life). Perry's series see's someone make a lot of money, try to transcend their class, end up a bit of an idiot and then eventually die.
Also taking inspiration from Perry's time making channel 4's All in the Best Possible Taste...' series, documenting class and how it affects the things we do/eat/wear etc.

We didn't spend too long or get to look at the process of the tapestries, as we went too close to closing time and got ushered out. But we will most likely go back.

It's definitely worth a visit. Also if you go in the next week or so, you can still catch Alison Erika Forde's The Tallest of Tales exhibition!

Alison Erika Forde: The Tallest of Tales

So last weekend saw the opening of the ever awesome Alison Erika Forde's latest show at Manchester Art Gallery!

We missed the big day as we were at Indietracks festival, but I got went as soon as I got back.
I passed by on my way to work yesterday and shall be going back again tomorrow and next week and probably every week after that until it ends!!!

I love Alison's work and not just because she is one of my best buds, but because it's awesome. This show is no let down, from the amazing paintings the bright sickly yellow wall, the shrooms, the cardboard hut to the totem, the giant doll and fancy lamp.

EVERYONE MUST GO!!!!

more information HERE

May Madness!!!

May is my favourite month of the year. Probably because it starts with my birthday! But also, I love Spring and usually spring has sprung by May.
This year though I'm not as excited by my birthday as I usually am, it's two weeks until it and I'm not shouting about it (this isn't shouting about it!!). I don't know if it's because I'm turning 29 and I'm not into that, or because I'm super skint, or because it's just come so quick. Anyway Last year I celebrated at Lego land, this year I'm just getting all my favourite people round for a pizza party!

May is full of birthdays, mostly my family, but I have two bff's birthdays two weeks prior to mine (two weekends of birthday fun happening in the next two weeks, AW YEAH!).
But May also has some awesomeness. like Yiiikes! (the art collective Kandy and I have formed with Alison) having our debut Exhibition.....

You know it's going to be awesome!

And one of our other Bff's, Nickie, is having her debut exhibition May 4th-7th of her awesome photography.

so you know May is gonna be the best!! (and it has two bank holidays, free comic book day, and we're doing Victoria Baths zine fair, RAD RAD RAD!)

Christmas; cats,crafts and comics!!

I got another great haul this Christmas, woo for me!

But as usually I noticed a running theme (and it wasn't just MCR although I did get two special presents related to them).
It was all about cats, crafts and comics!!

From some cat mittens from my mum, too Crafting With Cat Hair from my friend Laura. A poster signed by Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley (and an AWESOME BLO doodle) from Ben Cooney to a knitted jumper by Kandy of Enid Coleslaw!I got A Junko Mizuno comic too and some rad art, from Alison and Nickie! My walls are gonna look special.

As are my shelves with these other special gifts (to keep in the box or not ARGH!)

All I want for Christmas....

So last year on our Sugar paper Christmas list, I stated that I wanted a pair of snazzy tap shoes and Kandy wanted a ticket to the HP tour. Well I got my tap shoes, sadly Kandy didn't get her HP tour ticket, but it's OK she got her sen one for her birthday and we all went and had a rad time.

So it's that time of year where we give you a helping hand to buy the perfect gift for your loved ones...

For your twittering twin:  By this I mean someone who loves, or is an owl, not someone who you speak to only in 140 characters (although you can get them this too, you might only have virtual friends, or your virtual friends might be nicer than your actual friends) ANYWAY for those who likes owls, then you need to get this from Camille Rose Garcia !
Camille Rose Garcia makes amazing arts and creates some of the best characters, so imagine my delight when I saw these! Get a Hoot here!

For your mystical mate:  So maybe, like me you decided to finally watch Buffy in it's it entirety and now you feel like you are best friends with Willow Rosenberg and want to get her a present (not for Christmas, she's Jewish) or maybe you have an actual friend who is mystical. Well then they need this Ouija Board Cushion by our very own Kandy's Knit and Destroy. She also has a load of other witchy stuff that GLOWS IN THE DARK TOO. All from HERE!

For your forsaken friend: Do you have a serial dating friend? Or someone who dates the wrong guys (like my pal Buffy, oh wait she's not my friend!) Then they will probably see the funny side of Camille Smithwick's WLTM range. Check out these posters of two from the WLTM book! Get in touch with Camille to get one!

For your pukey pal; everyone has one of those friends who loves a bit of vom, gets excited by pustules, and partial to a missing tooth gag, then you need to get them a special Garbage Felt Kid of themselves made by me (Seleena Laverne Daye!)
Get in touch to order one!

For you're bunny buddy: This one is for your friend who likes all things hoppy and furry (not your friend Anya as she is frightened of bunnies!). Jessicka Addams used to front the rad band Jack Off Jill and now she makes awesome art! get a bunny pin HERE

For your cranky crony: If you have a friend who loves cats and is a bit cranky then you need to  get them one of Alison Erika Forde's art brooches! And if they don't like cats, she has other designs that are equally awesome to Cranky cat. get it HERE

For your Apocalyptic ally: Well, apparently the world is gonna end before Christmas, or so you're friend keeps telling you! You know what that friend needs? An omnibus copy of Grant Morrison's The Invisibles! If nothing else, they can use it as a weapon against whatever it is they meet on the Apocalypse!

What everyone you know wants: Well if the world is going to end before Christmas, you might not want to waste your money, so you should just enter the Sugar Paper Raffle. First of all it's cheap, second if you don't win something for you you might win something for a friend. Third, if you don't win something for you, it doesn't matter the world 's going to end. And lastly if you do win, something for EVERYONE then it will arrive before the Apocalypse so you will be able to give you're gifts to everyone. GET YOUR TICKET HERE!

I gotta 99 problems but a zine ain't one...

You may have already heard that Sugar Paper #10 is out now and can be bought HERE.

We've also added Kandy's roller derby zine, I don't Bruise Easy to the shop...

Get that HERE!

And last Sunday I managed to get myself a copy of Alison Erika Forde's new art zine (it's sooooo good)

You can get yourself a copy from her web shop, which she has updated with super cute badges and Christmas cards CHECK IT OUT HERE!!!

And the title of this post was inspired by this video....

FREE PUSSY RIOT!

Last bank Holiday, Alison and I went to be part of a flash mob. The mob was a lot smaller than first anticipated, but it was to show solidarity for Pussy Riot. It involved a bunch of us donning balaclava's and jumping in on Manchester's Gay Pride parade.

It felt really good to shout to the crowds FREE PUSSY RIOT! And for those crafty types amongst you, I made my balaclava using an old t-shirt. I cut the bottom half off (from under the arms). gathered in the top and stitched together. Put a 4" dart either side (on the side seam). Put on my face inside out and marked a place for eye and mouth holes. Cut them the right way out. Put it on and screamed FREE PUSSY RIOT!

Teen TV zines. Part 3

So to conclude our trilogy of Teen TV posts I present to you....

I had the idea of making a zine all bout My So-Called Life's infamous yet never seen character Tino at the start of this year. So I kindly asked a bunch of super talented people to send me what or who they think Tino is. the results are great and quite varied.
I then put all 11 submissions (including my own) in the zine.
I felt the quality of the printing of the zine didn't do the work justice, I was also sad that a lot of people who were wanting to contribute, didn't have chance. So I have made a tumblr to show what people contributed in all their glory AND to let those who never got a chance but still want to tell the world who they think Tino is.
BUY THE ZINE HERE
and watch the mystery of Tino unravel HERE

Bears & Burrs

So our pal (and long time Sugar Paper contributor) Alison Erika Forde, has opened a webshop full of her arty goodness! Check it out HERE!

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!