Ramblings of a Model, Mother and Outspoken Weirdo

Eek can't believe I am blogging a shoot from March, I need to get my tushie into gear so much to share/bore you with.

Rolled up to Studio 5000 which recently was robbed which is a shame, I hate to hear of people and places I like being crimed on.

I loved this shoot, it was quite literally with some of my favourite people, people who made my 2010 bearable! Sadly Debs had to bail at the last minute because she was poorly but despite that the shoot went pretty well and no-one was standing around bored.

I got to work with two of my favourite photographers my loverman Nicholas Gray and tip top down to earth mate Shepy. The models were newly branded Havannah Wildtime, Jason McCullagh and a lovely girly I met at a group shoot Victoria Price.

The staff at the studio are always very helpful and this shoot was no exception.

I was lucking enough to get pictures taken with each of the other models and I'm gonna share 'em with you now!

Me and Havannah both had clownesque costumes, mine was a Harley Quinn costume as it's known I am a bit of a geekette who likes to dress up it's logical I'd be a lady villan at some point.


Me and Vicky did a sterotypical girly pillow fight shot. It's really hard to get the balance right between looking attractive for the camera and actually having a pop at your opponent.

Lastly one of Nick's best mates Jason. He is just an awesome fella, few people make me laugh the way Jason does. Its a relenless barrage of comedy which leaves you sitting in a puddle of wee. He is a professional model and just a class person to spend time with. I kinda had an image in mind for this, this is almost it but me and Jason were laughing so much that we weren't fully committed to the task in hand.

So just before my birthday (like I said I am way behind with my blogs) on the way down to Nick's I did a shoot on film with one of my favourite togs Jonathan Keys. It was very overcast, the rain was on and off it wasn't really ideal conditions for a location shoot. Also it was in the city centre so there were quite a few people interested in what we were doing.

I wasn't dress spectacularly, I have a cute faux vintage dress from Next with a 60's feel and my cute little T.U.K heels on. I decided on black and white because the images were going to be B&W anyway, me having bright purple hair didn't make the slightest bit of difference.

This is my first shoot on film, it's weird because you need to make sure pose and balance etc is spot on, you can't just delete the crappy ones, so I kinda felt the pressure to be spot on and also not take the risks with random poses like I normally do. Here is my favourite image and my boyfriend's favourite image from the set.

Me and Nick have discussed a few times the whole digital vs film thing. I think digital has devalued the art to some extent, we're in an age where anyone can call themselves a photographer by buying a spandangly camera and putting it on to auto focus, never understanding the settings just clicking, hoping the best and deleting the crap. I have worked with plenty of people like this. When I tell people I am shooting with my boyfriend I make a point of informing them he is qualified not just a guy with a camera who takes pics of me being provocative in the kitchen.

My performance on Friday went insanely well I will blog it when I get some images from my lovely friend Lisa. Next on the cards for me is a shoot with Mr James Thorpe next weekend and performing at The Blue Room Burlesque, really excited about it, feeling the pressure of needing to do a serious, classical act, I'm not a very graceful girl. Not swan like, more like a really fat goat.

So this is now the title of my Katy Perry act, shame as I had SO much fun getting it sorted, doing my costume, buying props, getting my poster printed (by epic Dave Dent) designed by my partner Nicholas Gray and image taken by Sam Corban. I am quite proud of it and I have to admit to having a 23x23 inch print of myself on my wall just because I got a spare.



So I finally got to perform this at Dixie's Dollshouse on St Patricks Day, I had had a shoot earlier in the day, so I kept my make up on, I'd met my mate for tea and I was feeling nervous but confident nonetheless. I got up on stage and done the first verse and chorus of my act absolutely fine until I took of my first bra (yes, this act has two) and both my nipple tassels both fell off. I still had 3 mins of the track to go but I just continued, trying to make up and keep my boobs covered at all times. I think about 30% didn't notice and 70% saw my nipples. Bad times!

I am performing this again on Friday at The Shadow Gallery in Sunderland this Friday the 8th of April. Along with a mega cheesy 80's act. I am trying to fashion myself a mullet.

I am so far behind on my blogs its silly, but by the same token I don't want to flood people with my rambling on.

As you know I dyed my hair blue recently, I am now a purple which seems to take better to my hair. I am not natural nor 'vintage' friendly anymore. I sort of feeling I have received a bit of snobbery from some people I used to gabber on with about vintageness, in fact one person seems to be completely ignoring me since I dyed my hair which is utterly pathetic.

I have done quite a few shoots lately because obviously I am no longer a brunette which sort of means my portfolio is out of date. I can't sell myself as the short, curvy girl next door now, I am short, and curvy with violet locks, essentially the only box you can put me in is Alt.

The only gig you can normally get with rad hair colour that involves vaguely vintage shaped items is latex and sadly I think I am too chubby, bumpy, short and long in the tooth for that now. So I am basically doing what I have always done but with an Alt twist.

I did this shoot in the woods in Gainsborough with photographer Nicholas Gray, in a 50's nightie I bought from the Exquisite Bones etsy store. I was aiming for a mental patient that was lost in the woods and I think it really works.


Another example of this is the shoot I did with another one of my favourite photographers, Jonathan Keys, at Newcastle Civic Centre at night time, when I wore my repro vintage blouse by Able Grable.
Sometimes all components of a styling for a shoot can be from different eras and you can put them together and they just work in the correct setting.

I am hopefully having an Alt Wedding shoot at the weekend with a male model, first time I have ever did a shoot with a bloke and next week I will be preparing to perform at the Sunderland Shadow Gallery, with some of my favourite lasses. Also started working on a double act with my friend and talented burlesque artist, Daisy Stays.

So that group shoot that I did in January I wore some beautiful items from Sugarlesque! I got a couple of body suits from the lovely Ruka and I absolutely adore them I am trying to find a way to work them into a burlesque act somehow.

If you're down London way you should visit her brand spanking new boutique, if like me, you are uber north just have a look on the website! http://www.sugarlesque.com/

Quite enjoy the pink against my blue hair! I have to admit I have gone purple now, I am trying to keep doing the pin up and vintagey stuff, trying to brand myself as Alt-Vintage! I have three shoots and a burly night to perform so I am probably gonna have a mega end of March catch up!

My next performance is for my stunning homegirls at The Shadow Gallery, I think I am going to do my Curse of Katy Perry act once more and I'm not sure about which other act I am gonna do, might see what mood I am in on the week! :D

Every now and again I end up doing a shoot that is an absolute waste of time, I did one of these a couple of weeks ago with a photographer I met on Purestorm. I had loads of luggage and we didn't get to shoot long but I am kinda pleased about it, the guy rolled up with ancient equipment and at one point I even had to hold the reflector. Was really really bad craic.

I can't use any of the images, I will make myself look rubbish by posting a couple on my blog though. In most of the pics I have a 'What the hell are you doing?' expression on, it's not amongst my best modelling it has to be said.

Also waiting for images from a photographer from Darlington from a shoot in January, if he doesn't remove his finger from his rectum I am going to edit my feedback and give him some that reflects what a lazy liar he is.

It's my birthday next week, I shall be the ripe old age of 25, this year has to be better than last year. Still all heartbroken just a different kind. Anyway if y'all want to have a birthday bevvy with me I'd love to see you at Dixie's Dollhouse on the 17th. Not got much planned for my actual birthday, get to wake up with my fella, then I'm coming home to make a birthday tea for me and my babies and watch a movie together. Naturally we will be doing the whole melting chocolate, dipping a marshmallow in and sitting a smartie on top, it's the best bit :)

...Valentine!

Also V is for Vixie Vengeance, Valerie Vegas, Venus Star...the last burlesque show I performed in was filled with the letter V.

This was the show at Red Light Burlesque in Leicester I performed at on the 18th of February. It was quite nice to be away from the North East for a bit, and it wasn't like when I go to Gainsborough. Sadly my boyfriend's negative views of the place have rubbed off on me, swear I feel my stomach sink when I get there now.

Anyway, Leicester, seemed very clean, first pub I went into for lunch was virtually a chav free zone. The shopping centre and everything was just nice, didn't manage to find any places of cultural interest and I didn't have time for my Starbucks other than that I had a fab time there.

The lasses at this night were all fabulous, the dressing room was so small we were sort of on top of each other and all our stuff was overlapping so it's just as well we were all bloody lovely. I did two acts Rocky Horror (blue and my new one which has a loose Dominatrix theme but it really really needs some work, or I might ditch it altogether, although it was quite well received. I would love to perform down there for Venus Star again.

My next performance will be on the 17th of March, St Patrick's Day, the day after my birthday at Dixie's Dollhouse in Newcastle. Doing my California Gurls acts, need fresh lollipops after my fail in Durham which I am not even going to blog.