- Burly Blog

Black Widow

11/20/2012

I've already been booked for the 2nd November next year a Halloween show so I've decided to create a brand new act and revamp an old act.

My Nurse Vo Vamp routine will be revamped later in the year with new underwear, dress and accessories etc.

The Black Widow routine will be using the Nell Robe by Betty Blue's Loungerie and the underwear shall be the Over Wire Von Follies bra and pants with a What Katie Did underbust bra! - I also have the most gorgeous hat my friend has created for me which will also be added to top this costume off.

The over wire bra will be jet black rhinestoned fully with the lace sprinkled with crystals.

The corset won't be this one pictured but a cabaret sheer corset with the boning fully jet black crystalled.

This is the start os the gorgeous hat which I shall be embelishing myself as I've bought feathers etc. from a lovely burly lady online from a 'SALE' crafts folder!
keep and eye out for the latest updates here!

Original performers costume!

11/20/2012

A while ago I came across a vintage store called ' Darlings Vintage ' which carried a few performer costumes, original in noto bad a condition but needed a little bit of love. Eliza DeLite a lovely burly friend of mine bought one for her Ziegfield Girl routine and then fast snapped up the other identical one to [both costing £30 each] what a bargain I must say!

The other week I got an email from the lovely lady who runs the store who told me she had another costume and she'd send me photographs if I wanted and here they are! of course I snapped it up straight away complete with headdress.
I plan on breathing life back in to it, adding more feathers and repleacing the crystals and sequins - I seriously can not wait for this project to get under way!

Von Follies by Dita Von Teese

11/20/2012

As the obsessive fans of Dita such as myself would know Dita created a line wonderfully named 'Von Follies' [which is actually a name of a routine I have in the pipe line] it was launched in Australia and last week finally became available in the UK! Asos stock it, Debenhams and shopbop!

Anyone in the UK a top tip Debenhams are selling it cheaper than ASOS with free delivery if its over £30 - which after looking at the collection it will be!

The beautiful overwire black bra and matching briefs

The Black Over wire Von Follies bra cost £34 I bought two. One for daily use and one for my ' Black Widow ' Routine on the 2nd November next year. I plan on fully rhinestoning the bra and buying a What Katie Did black caberet sheer morticia under bust corset [just like my peach corset for my Bettie Boudoir routine] I'm going to fully jet black crystal all the boning too!

This bra gives an amazing uplift [even though theres no under wire] it pushes together and gives you a wonderful shape and feel! I can't wait to wear this out soon. The matching high waisted pants are so comfortable and look so classy and elegant on too.

Peach & Black suspender belt

Peach & Black suspender belt by Von Follies. I was tempted by the bra and pants but they just didn't look very special unlike the Over Wire bra. The suspender belt however was goreous and I do have quite the collection of suspender belts now & this one will fit right in.

The peach power mesh is coevered with a delicate black lace with black lace ruffle around the edge. It is also off set with velvet bows on the top of each black elastic suspender snap & one right in the centre.

The blush over wire bra and pants are what I am currently lusting over on Friday if my pay cheque allows it I'll be buying this!!

Bettie Boudoir ... a little revamp

11/20/2012

This poster is for my next show in Birmingham for the launch night of The Penguin Club hosted by Aceface Barbers!
It will also be the lovely JS's debut show and I am so happy to get to share this special event with her I know she'll blow everyone away.

However her debut routine and the Powder Puff Routine I was planning on performing we both use the same Nell Robe by Betty Blue's Loungerie - So to sort this I decided to give my lovely costume a little vintage overhaul. It's all come together so well that I've actually decided to keep this as the original outfit and my Nell Robe shall now be used for 'Black Widow' my brand new Halloween inspired routine to be performed on the 2nd November next year ..... but more on that in another post.

Stockings! I also spent a little time embelishing a pair of seamed stockings for this routine and revamping my nude thong as it needed a little TLC! some of the crystals had fell off and it was time for an update.

the start of the customization!

The final product! stockings & thong

I also got my mitt on a broken fascinator for 99p in the perfect peach colour for my costume! I set about revamping it for this routine!

Broken Fascinator

Finished Fascinator!

Burlesque and the Beast

10/26/2012

I finally got round to reading the 21st Century Burlesque article JS had shared on her facebook page and was rather appalled and yet sadly not shocked by what I read.

[If you’d like to read it before reading any further please go: Here]

It’s been quite evident in the last couple of years Burlesque is of course a lot more mainstream, it’s been diluted down until any Mary, Jane or Susan can go to take a short course or a one of lesson. To the point where brands such a Virgin are using Burlesque references as part of their advertising and a major motion picture was created staring the legend that is Cher and Christina Aguilera [all be it more of a ‘Cabaret’ movie less strip more singing and dancing chorus line really it’s also my guilty pleasure]

Of course with this turnaround from underground to popular culture craze like any medium be it films, music the list goes on, people within the scene start to create a tried and tested patient model to fit the ‘beautiful’ aesthetic that everyone seems to be obsessed with. In other words skinny ladies, average to large boobs, petite, curvy what the mainstream would call ‘perfect’ the sort of people who go to a burlesque show and expect to see Dita.... in every performance which in London a lot of the time is what you’ll get.

There is nothing wrong with being the ‘ideal’ but I don’t think that is all there should be, I love diversity I want to see classic, comedy, neo and many many genres when I go to a show. Classical burlesque will always be my favourite but after four Dita wannabes in a row I think I’d throw the chiffon scarf in and call it a night.

Dirty Martini and World Famous Bob to name but two are larger than life women with big curves and a big presence on stage to match, they don’t just rest on a bump and grind and the fact they are stunning – they work the audience, the stage and of course there confidence within their own skin. This fact overall inspires me more than anything.

When I got in to burlesque I knew very well there was an ‘ideal’ and they would no doubt get the headline spots but mostly that I was comfortable and confident in my skin and didn’t really care what small minded promoters thought if they want a superficial, same old same e old stereotypical show they can have it I’d rather go to less well known shows with fabulous acts who are of all genders, ethnicities and size!

In all honesty that is all I have to say on the matter.

Special Preview

10/21/2012

Well where do I start it's only been a week since Miss. Stark and I began plotting, planning and scheming ideas for the perfect double act!
This will be my first venture in to the deep unknown of double acts and routines but I couldn't think of anyone better to be doing it with.

So I've decided as my lovely likers on facebook, followers on tumblr and readers of my blog right here I'd share a very special preview with you!

Starkers and I have commissioned a costume to be made - This is no small feat we have a lot of costumes, props to source and find experts to make for us! This is set to be a HUGE routine and should hopefully be all ready and polished to perfection by February for a Valentines Debut maybe? you'll have to watch this space!

I also spent my evening yesterday designing and creating these matching powder puffs as a prototype for the routine. White powder uffs with navy bow & clear rhinestone custom emblishment.
[Custom made for £35 a pair/£10 extra with crystals]

Illustration of initial idea for costume by NTM's Tilly

How incredible is this costume going to be? Don't say I never give you anything!

A Perfect Double Act

10/17/2012

Hello Darling

So I thought I’d give you all a little sneak peek at a project Jessica Stark and I have joined forces to work on watch out Catherine & Dita! Vamp & Stark are on your tail.

JS and I have known each other for a while now after finding out we were reading ‘Venus in Furs’ at the same time we got talking and found we get on extremely well. Recently JS has started to make her first steps in to the Burly Q world and a peek behind the curtain; she’ll be debuting on the 24th with me at The Penguin Club curtsey of Aceface Barbers.

We are certainly a force to be reckoned with and will surely be the Marilyn and Jane of the Burly Q stage with our elaborate, glamorous maybe even a little bit Vegas routine! Keep your eyes peeled for more sneak peeks vampettes – we’re working on something pretty darn special!

After both coming across this gorgeous body online and positing it on various social networking sites we both connect on, JS and I thought why not do double act?

Well this will be my very first Double Act, I have only ever performed by myself from day one but I have to say this has really got the imagination going and its all hands on deck .... or all hands to the rhinestones.

Bettie Boudoir - The Brand New Routine

10/14/2012

The 7th of September finally saw the debut of my brand new routine! Tease & Reveal or as it was dubbed the second evening Boudoir Bettie.

A huge thank you to one of my all time favourite shows to perform at The Burlesque Company booked me yet again to come back and debut this routine – Matt and Amy are just wonderful and know just how to put on an amazing show.

The routine went so much better than I thought it would thank the burly queens for all the show girl luck & my powder puff was brilliant I can’t believe how well it worked – after the second show [the night after] I got commissioned by the lovely Rainbow Sparkles to create a giant powder puff for her Christmas act I shall post pictures in another blog post kittens.

I would like to add more sparkles to the costume in the form of rhinestones & crystals to the Triumph underwear and What Katie Did Corset [but probably just the boning not the mesh] and I may also have a go at crystallising the lace on my gorgeous Nell Robe – Betty I got so many compliments on that robe!! I may just wear it as day wear tee hee.

The show itself as always was wonderful there’s a few sneaky back stage pics I got with Sukki, Khandie and the lovely Cherry Stone – it was one of those wonderful evenings where backstage was a buzz with chatter, sharing stories, sharing lipsticks and of course pasties, thongs and glitter flying everywhere. It’s lovely when you get on with other burly q performers backstage I had such a great night. Meeting Sukki was amazing, she is an up and coming performer I’d really wanted to meet and sort of already felt like I had due to us talking online. Sukki is certainly one to watch what a little mover she is with a right firecracker personality it was a privilege to watch her do her thing.

8th September I got to do it all again and enjoyed it even more at Ruby Maihem with a bunch of burly q ladies I know and love which was incredible! The routine went so well and of course Mark of ML Imagery took some top notch images that I adore so big thank you to Mark.

For more behind the scene pictures go to: Gallery

The Next Show

10/14/2012

Vampettes, kittens and Cats the next show shall be at The Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath and is a new club night ran by Aceface Barbers.

This is an incredibly special show as my lovely lady Jessica Stark will be doing her Burlesque Debut on such a special night and my gorgeous girlie Kitty will also be down from Manchester to perform I can not wait.