Bargabrellas

This is a charming story about painted umbrellas which have cropped up all over Italy and Switzerland. Many people assumed that they were traditional creations of the townspeople of Barga where they first appeared, but they are in fact all the work of one artist.

Thanks to doggybag for the link.

Peoplebrella

Pylones in the US make fantastic little figurines whose clothes open into bold coloured umbrellas. I’m particularly fond of this holy-looking orange number.

Sparklebrella

If you’re anything like me then all you’ve been thinking about this year is how to make your own LED umbrella. Well, some wonderful sod has come along and provided a step-by-step guide. Seven pages of it. It’s going to take me a long old time.

The list of things you need alone is a bit daunting

• One umbrella, preferably light colored.
• 64 SMD (surface mount) LEDs in your color of choice.
• A spool of thin single strand, lacquered copper wire.
• 3AA battery holder, preferably compact and arranged in an L shape.
• Normal plastic coated multi-strand copper wire.
• One 750 Ohm variable resistor with built-in on/off switch for dimming and turning the umbrella on & off.
• Needle and thread (of the same color as the umbrella)
• Solder and Soldering iron/gun
• Wire cutters, wire strippers, scissors, x-acto knife
• Drill and drill bits
• Large board and small nails, to be used for laying out the wires and soldering the SMD LEDs onto the wires.
• Masking tape and double sided tape/carpet tape
• Clear epoxy or Glue, super-glue

But look at the results! As one of the comments says

It looks like it belongs in a Beck music video.

I know! I know!

Brellabag

Need to keep an unruly brolly confined to safe, sensible dimensions? Need to protect your lovely thin trousers from the threat of soggy marks? Kenn Hwang has taken a picture of this contraption which dispenses and attaches plastic sheaths for your umbrella. No matter how only-vaguely-useful it is, I want one now. You slip the brolly in the hole, something happens and it emerges contained and pristine. Marvellous.

Stupid brolly of the week

I’m really running low on stupid brollies now. Please send any you see that have not yet been featured to umumbrellas@googlemail.com. Thanks x

Wantbrella 3

Time for a new round of consumerist venting…

First up it’s a perky little thing from the Free People Clothing Boutique. The inside detail is just as pretty as (if not prettier than) the simple outer pattern, and I love the whole site. People will tell you this is because I’m a massive hippy. You have a look and tell me that it’s not all gorgeous.

And because that one’s far too bright I’ve picked a stylish duotone brolly in contrast. This is from Chantal Thomass (who also does this fabulous slut-laden pin-up umbrella). I love the pinstripes and the buttons.

Look at this trapped white space. Bloody blogs.

Safebrella

Kim Carlson was inspired to invent this umbrella after two people were struck by a car while crossing the road. It increases the visibility of the user and has clear panels through which the user can see traffic and other potential hazards. They’ve only been on sale in Portland, Oregon so far, but I’ll see if I can get one or two over here.

Lightbrella

Another day, another idea done better by someone else before me. These umbrellas are from a great range at Bright-Night, who have put a little light inside the canopy which illuminates the water-inspired designs. I’d love to see a crowd of them walking down a dark street, it would maximise the impact of the gorgeous shape that is the umbrella.

Neckbrella

I wish there was an image available of this umbrella actually being worn. It seems like a great idea, but is it less twatty-looking than its counterparts here and here? Use your imagination…

Umbrella Image of the Week

Park in New York filled with butterfly umbrellas. Photo from someone called George.