Ramblings of a Model, Mother and Outspoken Weirdo

So on account of a lot of spamming and panicking and fussing over the last few weeks a lot of people will be aware that I am doing a charity event next week called 'Help for Her'. This variety show is on the 5th of October at As You Like It, Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

I just thought I would briefly blog about why I am doing it and why it means so much to me. Last year I volunteered for the Tyneside Rape Crisis Centre, it was a big deal for me, the training aspect was an up and down emotional roller coaster and I really got to learn how emotionally taxing the work done by the volunteers at the charity is. I am currently unable to volunteer because I am kinda split between my kids, maintaining my long distance relationship and my ex's shifts. I hope I can do it again in the future though as I feel it was good for me and seriously aided in my healing process.

The people performing are mostly people who I regard as close friends, people who I have immense respect for and the few people I trust in the burlesque world. I went for a Superhero theme for this event because of the way I had coped with what had happened to me, Nick once referred to me as 'some kind of Superhero' and I was very much touched by this. Here is the superhero-esque poster he designed for the event.

I haven't been blogging about my burlesque much, I find the modeling easier to talk about.

On the 1st of May, the day after the vintage fair I went to, I performed in Leeds, I did my 'Physical' act and my Rocky Horror act. Met some interesting people, had some funky stalls there too. Venue was quite big and interesting. Lovely lass called Penny Sweets had her burlesque debut and she was absolutely amazing, she did two acts and you couldn't tell she was nervous at all. Pretty good craic behind stage too, and the audience were awesome.

I really enjoy doing my Physical act, my costume looks a bit crap in comparison to the other lasses behind stage but it serves a purpose and I think it's more upbeat than a lot of classical acts. Not to everyone's taste but I enjoy getting up on stage and spanking the place. I shall be performing it at the next Gully's and Casa Bellini then I will give it a rest until it's requested again.

I then performed at the Durham Shadow Gallery last month too, it was a quiet gig, good atmosphere though, just a shame that the dressing rooms are directly behind stage and you don't get to see the other performances. My homegirl Daisy Stays was the highlight of that evening in my opinion, I also wore one of her creations for my 'Cosmic Girl' balloon pop.

Shepy also too this pretty cool of me doing 'Physical' I was worrying that the blonde would look rubbish on stage but I think this is one of my favourite performance images of me

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

...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.

I am sooo far behind in my blog it's not funny! I think I have 3 shoots/events I need to blog. This time I will be having a ramble about a group shoot I attended last month. Went to BananaStudio with friends mostly and done 4 hours worth of shooting and having a laugh. I quite like arranging the group shoots but I feel responsible on the day and tend to always end up out of pocket, and now when one of the togs hasn't given any images to the girls I feel somehow responsible.

Now actually waiting for images from 5 photographers, normally I dislike the wait but I think it's also kinda cool because by the time you get to see the pictures you've sort of forgotten the shoot itself so the images are a surprise and it brings the memories back.

I did a shoot with a fella in Darlington, but word on the street is that he takes a few months to return the images. Been there before though, I waited for about 4 months for some bridal images and got them back unedited. Get to learn valuable lessons about who is worth working with and who talks out of their arse. I am pleased that I can now interact with local models and burlesquey types to find out what people are like.

Here are a couple of images from the group shoot. One from Mr Shepy and one from delightful Miss Deborah Sanders.

Nothing really new going on, I have bored you already about my burlesque performances. Me and Nick are the same, just waiting for 'luck' to do it's thing and end this crappiness. I haven't been sleeping and that makes me a very very moody cow. Noticed how fake my smiles are on my shoots over the last few month, Dee La Faux. Anyway, I have a bra to customize for my Katy Perry tribute shoot. Tatty bye.

Well it's taken long enough, I can't actually remember what my first one was about and I am not going to look back over it, it would probably be cringeworthy, took me quite a while to develop a blogging style. I had planned to go a giveaway on my 100th blog but I'm not really sure what I would give away. Any ideas?

I realised I forgot to blog a shoot before I went blue! Naughty naughty Ms La Beau. I did a shoot with Newcastle gentleman and general techie type Mark Pinder and BananaStudio down the ol' Ouseburn.

Pin up was the general plan for the day, got some pretty fabulous shots of my Winter Wonderland act costume, sadly probably won't get to perform that again until next year! Boo.

Might have been a bit premature in pimping out my performance at The Shadow Gallery. My next performance is actually in Leicester, my first gig out of the North East and I am going all on my own. Nothing like a bit of an Anti Valentines night to put me in the mood for animistic love making. If any of you are about Leicester I'd love to be meeting you at Venus Star Presents... Red Light Burlesque - F**k Valentines. I will performing two acts, the first one I ever performed and a brand spanking (literally) new act.

I fancied a change, so I decided to go from a brunette which I have always been to attempting a head of blue hair. It's probably just a phase to be fair but a lot of my photos are starting to look the same and I wanted the challenge of working something different and it sure is! I had already booked a shoot with a photographer last week and thought he might want to cancel due to my hair colour change but that wasn't the case he was just as keen.

Took a few shots just in my lounge with my boyfriend, Nicholas Gray, just so I could debut the blue if you know what I mean. It's very different, and my Mum wasn't keen. I also took Nick to meet my Mum for the first time, it was a bit of a non event, I had been really worried leading up to it but it was fine. I also introduced Nick to the delicacy of a deep fried pizza kinda got a combined thumbs up and thumbs down!

Well, it feels long ago now! Even though it was only a couple of weeks!

My last performance was on the 29th of December at the Blackfriar's Ballroom for Gully Sutherland's Emporium of Extraordinary Entertainment. I had an amazing time, a chance to hang out with some friends and make some new ones. Folks like Alfie Joey and Mirabelle Blush, were particularly lovely to me! It was just an amazing evening, with a lovely warm atmosphere, the lady responsible for the fab event is Miss Daisy Stays!

I performed two acts. I was very excited about debuting my Winter Wonderland act, my costume had been a bit of a pain in the tushie because of the mega snow we experienced in the run up to Christmas, I didn't really get what I wanted but I still got some cute images by Jazzy Lemon of me in action. I depended on the High St, with my costume being mostly from Topshop and H&M. It was literally the most fun I could have with fake snow. Quite sad that I probably won't get to perform this act again until next year. Boo!

I also performed my 'I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair' act, I should probably work on a slightly more catchy title for it! I really like to get use out of my Revamp Sailor outfit as it was one of my 21st Century Pin Up prizes and it was that which kicked all my burlesque ambition into gear.

Last year was quite a big year for me photographically and in every other sense really. Life changing!

These are my top 10 images that shaped my modeling in 2010 and best represent the Dani as much as the Dee La Beau. I was going to try and not be gooey but really my best times this year have been with my boyfriend, I can't change that and wouldn't want to.

January 2010
The day I met Nicholas Gray my favourite image in my portfolio to date.

February 2010

Getting all excited for my next performance which will be Gully Sutherland's Emporium of Extraordinary Entertainment - Victorian Winter Wonderland Variety Performance. I will be performing the act I last blogged and a brand spanking new act called 'Winter Wonderland' which I recorded my own version of the song for, with the help of Mr Mark Pinder who also took me some festive piccies. It was really nice to do something different like that, I haven't sang in years and it used to be a really good way for me to get my 'Meh' out, I am always pottering round my kitchen and singing my ass off.

I am a little bit concerned about my costume not arriving in time for this performance on the 29th, I am expecting some flipping amazing hot pants from the states and they are probably not going to get here *sad face*. It should be a great night with a mixture of things, not just burlesque if you are able to and want to have a warm up for New Years, you should come along! I am also excited because a lot of the people performing and attending are some of the most amazing friends that I have made in 2010, I am lucky to have them in my life!