HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Photo by Andy Grieve

I will start 2012 with an apology - I have been badly neglecting my blogging duties.
I have been busy, I promise, and you know how Christmas takes over everything (especially for me aka Mrs.Christmas as my friends call me!) from about November.

So now I don't know where to start... or end for that matter!

I want to tell you about the tours, appearences, goodies I've gathered but it will take so much time and I don't want to bore you so instead I'll give you the rest of the 2011 in pictures and the odd video ending with us headlining and curating New Year's Eve at the almighty Royal Festival Hall - what a way to end the year/ start the new one!

OCTOBER
Was the month of my favourite show to date - KOKO
Here's two videos by Fashot TV of the leadup to the gig:

The first half I wore a dress made specially for the event by Sam Cook aka Darkest Star which is so unique. I adore it and am incredibly grateful and honoured for all Sam's hard work.

Photo by A R Harvey

The second dress was fresh from Inbar Spector's latest collection -lucky me!!

Photo by Gem Hall

We had a BIG band that night! Photo by Saul

It was PACKED and the audience blew me away! Photo by Gem Hall

We were joined by dancers, aerialists, brass band, Songlines Choir and Carnival Collective samba band. Photo by Gem Hall

NOVEMBER
For one day only little ole me was a real model...
I did a wonderful fashion shoot for the lovely Kundalini Arts who design stunning scarves that I am a big fan of. The photographer was a real pro and I loved working with her and what she got out of me. Emma Crosby styled the shoot and Jeni Dodson did the hair and makeup- what a great team. I had a lovely day and am so happy with the shots- more coming soon!

PHOTOGRAPHER - ANUSHKA MENON.
SILK SCARF - KUNDALINI ARTS.
JACKET - INBAR SPECTOR.
RING - IMOGEN BELFIELD.
GLASSES - RETRO SUPER FUTURE

PHOTOGRAPHER - ANUSHKA MENON.
SILK SCARF - KUNDALINI ARTS.
JACKET - ALICE PALMER.

To get an idea of what might be coming up here are some behind the scenes pics -

Wig by Annabelles Wigs

Next up was a big show at Royal Festival Hall supporting the mad Emir Kusturica & The No Smoking Orchestra. I am in a gorgeous dress by Alice Palmer and hair accessories by Now Voyager:

Photos by Gem Hall

Then we went on tour to Holland and Germany... (All photos by the lovely Gem Hall)

GRONINGEN. 'Ruff' by Jane Elliot , Ring as hair accessory by Sweet Trash

UTRECHT. Dress by Beyond Retro, Hair accessories by Now, Voyager!

ROTTERDAM. Dress by Beyond Retro, Wig by Annabelles Wigs, Feathered Headband by Her Curious Nature

RADIO SESSION. Ridiculous sillyness in Annabelles Wigs and my Elizabeth Lau pom pom dress.

AMSTERDAM. Dress - Beyond Retro

Hanging out in MUNICH. Coat & Turban - EBAY

Band picture. EINDHOVEN. I'm in a Kundalini Arts silk scarf and Bolongaro Trevor Jacket

DECEMBER
This was a busy month and I didn't have time to take many pictures but we started the month releasing a Christmas single:

Then it was CHRIIIISSSSSTMAAAAS! I had a lovely family one - lots of food, games, good company, movies and lovely presents!!
My dad blew us away by getting all his daughters a very special first edition book by A.A.Milne (it's been an hard year for him as he had a major health scare and operation but he has come out the other end in amazing form and better than he has been in decades so it was emotional Christmas for him). Mum did an incredible portrait of Hobbes for Stephen and I which she got framed beautifully too.

Judy Young is available for commissions by the way.... ;)

Everyone was very generous this year and Stephen really spoilt me with a sewing machine, wooden stamps, a beautiful silk collar (that I wore on NYE), jewellery and the whole Harry Potter DVD Collection! YES!

Then to top off a brilliant, busy year we finished 2011 at the Royal Festival Hall surrounded by family and friends. The perfect end to a pretty perfect year.

Me and the family watching the fireworks from RFH! I'm wearing the silk collar I got for Christmas and Annabelles Wigs.

My brother and I. I'm 'in disguise' in a dress from Vintage Secret and another of Annabelles Wigs.

PS. The theme was Hollywood Glamour!

I might add some pictures of our gigs that night when they come through so check back in a few days too!

So... 2012... it will be another busy year and a lot of change for me - new team, new album coming, new songs to perform, new designers to wear and support and hopefully lots of lovely new people to meet along the way.

I hope you all had a lovely holidays and are ready and excited for the new year.
Oodles of love and fireworks,
Gabble012
Xox

Beautiful frocks from Juno Says Hello

Hello animals!Just a quick post while I'm on the road in America to show you some of the gorgeous vintage frocks I borrowed from Juno Says Hello for my recent performances in Europe.

The sequin details on this blue dress are stunning!

I love this pink 1950s dress.Worn with some of the lovely hair pieces NowVoyager sent me. Many thanks to Rebecca at Juno Says Hello, Felicity at Now Voyager and Gemma Hall who took these photographs.

Vintage finds & goodies galore...

Hello!
I've actually got some time off- for the first time this year... I'm not gigging, recording etc etc for a week so I got my first chance to go shopping- vintage shopping to be exact (my favourite)! Since losing all my luggage on American Airlines (thousands of pounds of vintage, one offs and bespoke items) I have been not only gutted but in despair of what's left in my wardrobe so I have been de-cluttering bigtime. I am selling off 50% of my clothes and other random belongings that were gathering dust on the shelves. I'll keep you posted on where the sale will be but it's looking likely that Battersea Car Boot is about to be Gabby-fied!

ANYWAY

The clearout did clear some space for some new treasures and Katie Antoniou of London Plinth advised me to visit the £20 sale at 123 Vintage where you cram all you can into a large bag for £20, or £10 for a smaller bag. Katie went on the first day and very kindly picked up 3 dresses for me- all of which are GORGEOUS!

Stunning pink ballgown.

Floor length blue cocktail dress.

This needs work and a iron but great potential!

So of course I travelled through the rain to get there on my first day off- I needed retail therapy and £20 couldn't be better spent!
I found lots of great things - my favourites are:

Gorgeous 50s swing skirt

Purple tailored trousers

 (that you can't really see - but they're great!)

Great destructured wool top and black cotton breeches

A bad pic of blue checked skirt and white shirt

I bought home a kids dress...

Cut it in half...

Voila!

How very 80s of me!

 I also got a black velvet prom dress, a white and black netted hat, silk white shirt with birds on it, white braces for my man and a black and white velvet dress!

That's Tigger my mum's dog!

There were a few items that have now added to my 'for sale' pile but I think I did very well for £20!

 Another thing I have missed a lot from the luggage disappearance is my makeup- all my products from Illamasqua that I blogged about here were in that bag.... :(
However they have now replaced all lost items and more- I am so excited by my new kit and have already had 2 gigs for trying out the new colours and pieces and love them... THANKYOU ILLAMASQUA!

 Also as I blogged about before- I got some other amazing goodies...
Hairpieces from Annabelles Wigs who have named a wig after little ole me!

Which you can get now (just click on the picture). I am so excited to be the first to have this and I wore it at Festival Mundial in Holland last week for the show and for meeting fans and eating cupcakes made by the famous and charming Dutch chef Rudolph Van Veen . Huge thanks to Annabelles Wigs- I can't believe how perfect the match to my hair is! And now I don't have to hide under a hat when my roots get bad and I have no money/ time to sort them- yey!

Photo by Gem Hall

This picture might just end up in Rudolph's new cookbook!! Which reminds me our lovely Gem Hall (my official photographer and tour manager) was in The Telegraph this week with her amazing picture of Nell from Gifford's Circus:

GO GEM!!

ALSO Now Voyager sent me a whole load more gorgeous, colourful things for my hair... I love them all! Butterflys, birds and flowers (which I wore at Mundial Festival to lots of great comments!)

Here's a fan video of me wearing all three -Illamasqua makeup, Annabelles Wigs' 'Gabby' headpiece and Now Voyager flower fascinators!

Woh! I haven't done a long blog in a while... and now I'm doing two- come see what I'm up to in my new interiors blog Living On A Shoestring too...

Take care ladies and gents (I know there is at least one man who reads this! ;) )

Adieu!
Xox
Gabs

Two of Wands

photo by Albert Nijmolen

Just a quick post to thank some lovely people for their ongoing contributions to my work- firstly the lovely team at Illamasqua who've replaced all the make-up that was in my luggage lost by the airline on tour in America.I'm loving experimenting with some of their new range of colours. Also Felicity of Now Voyager who has sent me yet more incredible goodies for my hair, like the giant orchid in the picture above, taken at Festival Mundial yesterday. I've also just received some wonderful hair pieces and extensions from Annabelle Wigs.

Two of Wands by Katelan van Foisy

I've just seen this wonderful painting by my friend Katelan van Foisy, who did the beautiful artwork for our Song for Japan.This is the Two of Wands card from the Tarot Deck- I love that I'm wearing the headdress by Her Curious Nature and a fabulous dress that Katelan came up with herself- I may have to have one made!I love collaborating with designers, artists and all creatives really, its such a great complement when others find inspiration in my work, as I do in theirs.