Well, now we have settled in to our new format, we want to show off the winners of our New Year competition! It was a hard fought contest with thousands of votes cast, but at last we had our winners: Miss 21:CP Burlesque Diva, Miss 21:CP Pinup Queen, and our Beginner Burlesque Diva and Beginner Pinup Queen.

All four of our deserving winners have a Winners Story to tell, so without further ado - here they are!

 

Miss 21:CP Burlesque Diva is…

Darkteaser!

Meet Darkteaser - burlesque performer, pinup, actress, dancer and craftswoman…

“I’m honoured to have been voted Burlesque Diva 2008; I didn’t expect to even get to the second round! It makes me feel very special to know that all you people who voted for me enjoy my work.

When I saw the advert about the contest I pondered about if I should enter or not and decided that of course I should and let the public decide if I’m meant to win.

As soon as I found out that I was in the running for it I did campaign somewhat through Myspace to get people to vote for who they wanted and promote the site itself, I was so surprised to find that I had won and was shocked and happy to find that people thought I was good enough to win.

Winning the title has made me feel very welcome and given me a huge boost.

At the moment I’m working on my event - ‘Darkteaser’s Garter Lounge’ in Leicestershire. It’s been great so far; with fabtastic performers and myself shimmying and shaking all night. The event will happen regularly throughout the year and host some of the most delightful talent around.

I’m also planning a mini tour of sorts including Paris and the US - so watch this space!“

Click here for more of Darkteaser…

 

Miss 21:CP Pinup Queen is…

Beatrix von Bourbon!

Juxtaposing bad girl beauty with a sensitive soul, Beatrix is an award winning performer and pin-up model…

“With 21:CP being such an on-the-pulse publication, I thought it was the perfect place to showcase my pin-up modelling work. I’m very passionate about putting a modern edge on the traditional pin-up ethos and was keen to see whether the readers of 21:CP would be open and receptive to this concept. When I was put forward to the final round of voting, I was overjoyed to discover that the readers are on the same page as me, so to speak.

I posted a few messages on social networking websites, but I didn’t really want to start a voting campaign. For me, this competition offered a very useful opportunity to discover what people really thought of my work, so it was important that any votes I received were because people believe in what I try to do with my pin-up images. I didn’t want to receive votes for political reasons or for the sake of popularity.

There are a lot of talented models working at the moment, one of my particular favourites being Fleur De Guerre, and to be placed in the same peer group made me feel very honoured.

To be honest, even now I feel very humble about it. As mentioned, entering this competition was a bit of an experiment for me - I really hadn’t expected to win.

I was away working a three month burlesque contract in Stutgart, Germany when I received the news. I’ve now signed a modelling contract with Rogue Maidens modelling agency and I suppose only time will tell whether this award lures more jobs my way.

I have been asked to return to Stuttgart for three and a half months over the Christmas period this year, so I’m currently working on a big-scale burlesque act for that show. I’m hoping to pick up more modelling work over the course of this year too, as winning this award has given me confidence that the images I help to create can carry a strong, positive message. I am keen to retain a creative input in any modelling work that I do in the future…”

For more of Beatrix, click here…

(Image used (c)2009 Sabine Schönberger)

 

Miss 21:CP Pinup Beginner is…

TrixyDee!

Meet yummy mummy and tattooed temptress, TrixyDee!

“I decided to enter when I saw a post on the Hourglass forum. I had just done a fantastic shoot a couple of months beforehand and it had given me the most amazing kick and confidence boost and I wanted to share it with the world.

I didn’t really campaign but did rally support from friends and family and on my blogs on Myspace, Facebook and LiveJournal.

The competition was so unbelieveably fierce that I didn’t think I would get into the finals, also the voting months seemed to last forever, I sort of thought it was just a popularity contest and whoever had the most friends would have got through.

It was one of the fabbest things ever to win! I was staying at my aunt’s in Auchtermuchty with no internet access and I had to check on my stone age phone, I couldn’t see very clearly so I ended up calling my friend and asking him to check. I can’t describe the feeling it was just awesome, I was so proud to be a curvy mama and winning something like a pin-up contest, it was quite surreal.

I has definately given me a self esteem boost: people must have voted for me, either because of my picture or my little paragraph. It was quite touching to think of people voting for me. It has made me more keen to take up the modelling side of things more seriously.

I am waiting for a couple of costumes/corsets and intend to do another shoot with Deborah Sanders, and an Hourglass shoot in the Summer. I am also going to work on a Burlesque act - I miss doing singing so I am going to try something completely different!”

Click here for more of TrixyDee…

(Image used (c) George Swift)

 

Miss 21:CP Burlesque Beginner is…

Heather Sweet!

What can we say about the hilarious Heather? Funny and imaginative, it’s always sweet to have Heather around…

“I entered just for the crack of it really. It was entertaining writing the little blurb. I do live the oddest place, and escaping to gigs is my only sanity.

I had an incredibly stupid campaign. It was just me messing about on paintbox and posting things i thought would make people smile. So I had a piccy of obama groping my boob and an incredibly cute penguin - and taglines like penguin tears freeze, stop animal cruelty, vote for Sweet!

The support I got was awesome. Friends and family were awsome, but by far the biggest support came from friends in the burlesque community. From promoters I’d worked for, from photographers, but especially other performers and models. And of course the backbone of burly - the fascinator-loving corset-wearing burlesque supporters. They were awesome and I take my hat and pants off to them!

I was a very happy bunny when I won. I was quite hungover from the night before and logged on to a fantastic start to the new year. It was just a lovely suprise and I was and still am thankful to people who voted.

Leo Di Caprio hasn’t stopped calling since I won, It’s just sooo inconvinient! I’m like, ‘yeah I know you’re all for saving the planet and being ethical and making a stand against blood diamonds. But I’ve already promised the girls we’d get plastered on cheap shite white wine and talk about feathers and willys!’

I’m still as daft and ungraceful as ever, but I do have a little spring in my step. And it’s made me determined never to conform to a stereotype. My extended family are accepting of what i do, and my mother now has a burlesque name, so I’m pretty thrilled about that.

Next up - a tea party in a castle, A trip abroad, And the pursuit of world peace! By 2015, all nations will fly a rainbow glitter flag and any bad bahaviour will result in being kissed to death by plague carrying unicorns!”

Click here for more of Heather…

(Image used (c) Alicia Clarke Photography)

 

And an honourable mention for our 2nd Place Runner-Ups!

Burlesque Diva Runner Up

Vicky Butterfly!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pinup Queen Runner Up

Fleur de Guerre!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Beginner Pinup Runner Up

Violet Ecstacy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Burlesque Beginner Runner Up

Lena Mae!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

21:CP would like to thank all our entrants, our four wonderful winners and ravishing runner-ups, and for all the generous support and donations from our prize donors.