R.I.P Poly Styrene

I'm sure the news of Poly Styrene's death has reached every last Punk on earth by now. I was aware she was ill, but heard today, late afternoon, via the radio, that she had passed away.

Poly Styrene has inspired nearly everyone I know, most of the bands I listen too probably wouldn't exist if she hadn't.

There are probably a ton of fitting tributes floating around the net, like this one from Kathleen Hanna. But I want to say what she meant to me.

Yes, like most other females, I saw her as a pioneer, I didn't think there was such a think as women in punk until I heard X-Ray Spex as a teen. Through her and X-Ray Spex i discovered a load of other bands.
But it wasn't her gender that made me admire her so much, it was her race.

I am mixed race, and my music taste (to sum it up briefly) is of the indie-pop-punk-rock persuasion. Music that is predominately made by white musicians, yes, you get the odd non white musician in bands, but not many.

In the scene, I go to clubs, gigs, events and more often than not I am one of three non whites in the room, and most often the only mixed race, to see a woman make music, up on stage making music I understand, was like a shining light. Yeah it sounds cliche (I Am A Cliche), but for a young girl getting into a scene deemed 'white' and being seen by non white friends and family members as not 'acting black' enough, seeing a mixed race girl scream her heart out on stage made me not care what anyone thinks.

If she can so that, then so can I.

If nothing else, Poly was also a style icon. And will continue to be for me.

R.I.P Marianne Elliot Said, you will be sorely missed.
*this is me wearing a Poly dress I made for my 21st birthday party!

Team Desk....

So for the first time since I was a child I have a desk!!!!!

I acquired this desk like over two years ago, it came from my sweet shop, where it served as my counter. I moved it into my closet-cum-workroom but it seemed to have been buried under stuff for the next year and a half. At the start of this year, with the addition of a new wardrobe to my closet I decided now was the time to make an actual workspace!!

Now this may all seem very boring to you and many others, but it's really important to me, I thing having a space you can actively use and get inspired by is something you need in order to create and feel good about it.

I hope to use my new rad workspace for many exciting things this year, watch this space...

Inspiring Sugar Paper #7.....

Deep in the heart of the Valley....

A while ago (January in fact, the day we went to see Abel, back when I had my gammy eye!) Kandy and I went to Bury Art Gallery to see the Moomin exhibition!

The exhibition had a big range of Moomin illustrations by creator Tove Jansson and some of her other work for satirical magazines.

The illustrations themselves were a joy to look at, but the gallery had made the celebration of the 65th anniversary of Moomins more of a family affair with interactive pieces, a colour in and comments section, one of those things where you put your face through the hole, so you could be Moominmama Moominpapa or whoever (I took my camera but not my flash, so the photographic evidence didn't turn out, boo).

Our favourite piece was the Moomin valley! An amazing starlight backdrop, fake trees, a little boat and little wooden huts, magical! we sat in (squashed ourselves in whilst children watched) and read Moomin books.

Moomin Valley is most definitely somewhere I'd like to live! Sadly Moomin Valley doesn't exist (I'm sure there are places just as beautiful).

A place that is pretty amazing looking is Portmeirion.....

Kandy and I and all my other rad friends are escaping the Royal wedding and spending a caravan weekend in the picturesque places of North Wales, near Snowdonia. My birthday falls on this weekend and so will be spending my 27th birthday awwing at the beauty that Portmeirion (setting for TV show The Prisoner!).

I think we'll look just like that Moomin picture at the top!