Parasol indecision

[gem]

So to go with our all-white "Much Ado" ensembles this year, I'm *finally* getting parasols for my MIL and me.  I thought I knew what I wanted, and after searching for two days, I finally tracked it down. But now I'm not sure!

I thought I wanted a coated paper Thai parasol like this one, but now I hear that they're pretty heavy (from reading the other threads). This one is also out of stock until the middle of September (a week after I'd first need it for this year).

This one has the same design, but in cloth... and it *is* pretty heavy, at 3 lbs!

Alternately... I could order some plain white/off white parasols and paint them myself (in a similar sort of design, maybe in gold). Has anyone tried this? What did you paint it with? Would a gold paint pen work? Or stencils? (I have some great Ren-themed stencils left over from my painted poncho project a couple of years ago.)

What should I do? I have a ton of sewing to get done in the next ~month, so I don't really need a new painting project, but it's tempting...

Can anyone advise? Either on the painting or the weight/practicality of the Thai umbrellas vs the rice paper parasols?



Thanks!!

[Rowan MacD]

   Nobbies has large, waxed, rice paper parasols for about $19.95.  Selection varies depending on what they can get. I have seen Chinese flowers, peacocks and bamboo designs painted on the paper.  I have also seen many full sized parasols at The Paper Factory which is another party supply store here in Omaha as well as Des Moines.  I think Paper Factory might have plain ones. 

[Anna Iram]

Gem, I have a thai paper umbrella and I don't find it to be much heavier than my other paper umbrellas. The one you show looks pretty much like mine, though I think I got mine from a different site. I'll look for their page and post it for you. *edited..turns out it is the same site. and I don't see anything else like it on the net.* It shows it as being .70 lbs. That's pretty light. They do roll up a bit thicker than the others but not so much that it didn't still fit in the sheath a friend made for me.

As for painting one. I haven't tried to paint an entire umbrella, but I did have one with lavender flowers a few years ago and wanted to use it for my day of wrong Emerald City gown. I needed the flowers to be poppy red. I just went to Michaels and purchased a fine tip marker. They come in every shade imaginable and it colored it perfectly. The fine tip made it very easy to be precise. It'd be fun to paint your own, but it was time consuming and I was just filling in flowers.

When do you plan to use it? Can you wait until they ship in September?

[Jessi]

I have that same parasol. I got mine at lunabazaar.com. I checked but they are out of stock there also.

[Dinobabe]

I got my paper parasol at Hobby Lobby, on sale, $5!  And it was at the end of the summer, too.  You could spray paint it if they don't have white.

[gem]

Thanks, everyone!  I haven't seen any parasols locally here this year (although last year our Hobby Lobby had the garish neon colored ones, and believe me, if I could have found a color I thought would remotely go with any garb anyone in my family was ever likely to wear, I'd have bought a couple!!), and the ones they have at our fairs look very Asian (paintings of cranes or cherry blossoms or Chinese characters on them). I was looking for something a lot more neutral.

I ended up ordering two "premium" paper parasols from another site, for around $7 apiece, and I will decide whether or not to decorate them when they get here. I picked two that were slightly different in color/size/handles/finials, although they're both white/off-white/ivory. The Thai ones are still my favorite, but the in stock variety had really short handles that looked like they'd be awkward to carry.

I just went to Michaels and purchased a fine tip marker. They come in every shade imaginable and it colored it perfectly.

Anna, do you mean a regular magic marker (like a Sharpie)? Or a fine-tip paint pen/marker?

Right now I'm thinking I might use a couple of foam stamps I have, plus acrylic craft paint.

...Or I'll just leave them plain and save myself another project this year. Ha!!

[groomporter]

For decorating you can always tape a design behind the paper and shine a light through it to trace the design in pencil and then use waterproof markers and/or paints to fill in the traced design. That's how I did the playing card signs on canvas for our game booth
https://s-hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs156.snc1/5816_138162728898_673048898_3242509_3020094_n.jpg

[Anna Iram]

Gem, it was found in the art supplies area of Michaels where you could buy pens individually. It was a very fine point with a felt tip. Much more fine than a regular marker or a sharpie. About the size of a # 2 pencil. I don't recall the brand but it was art quality, so it didn't bleed and went on easily. Probably not water proof, but then niether is the paper you'd be painting upon.

Jessi mentioned Luna Bizarre and I took a look. Did you see this one?

http://www.lunabazaar.com/mehendi-henna-painting-32-inch-saa-paper-umbrella.aspx

[gem]

GP, you are so smart!! We actually have a lightbox, so that is a great idea (and your king/queen banners look fantastic!).

Anna, excellent! I know exactly the sort of pens you're talking about. Do you have pictures of the one you did?

I did see that one, but it's a little too busy? Dark? Something. They also have a gold one in that same pattern (gold on white), and it felt too busy, too... although I love the gold on the pale green and the orange (!!).

[Anna Iram]

I don't have a picture. I could take one, but I'm not sure it would really show more than I can describe. I liked the felt tip for this particular project because it has the same quality as the other branches and birds painted on. Like an ink it absorbed into the fibers of the paper rather than laying on top as a paint might. A softer apperance like a watercolor.

Now, for something like Groomporters banners , paint is just right. It's bolder. Very nice by the way.

I'm curious, Groomporter, do you find the paint is flexible? That was one of the reasons I went with the felt tip. I was concerned that the slight stretching upon opening the parasol  the paint might crack or the paper tear.

[bellevivre]

latex paint flexes- Ive had SCAdian friends design their pavilions with it.

also, tell me this isn't a seriously awesome parasol for a faerie! http://www.lunabazaar.com/CU22GR-green-parasol.aspx

wow!

this is a great site!

[groomporter]

Now, for something like Groomporters banners , paint is just right. It's bolder. Very nice by the way.

I'm curious, Groomporter, do you find the paint is flexible? That was one of the reasons I went with the felt tip. I was concerned that the slight stretching upon opening the parasol  the paint might crack or the paper tear.

I start out with markers too, but I've found that acrylic art paint works fine, although I thin it with water. Straight out of the bottle it would probably be too thick, and more likely to crack. On the canvas I found I had to do two coats of some colors since it soak into the fabric a bit and got a little lighter as it dried, but I assume that would be less of a problem on paper. I also had a little problem with bleeding with the fabric, but I found if I let the neighboring colors dry thoroughly it would "seal" the fabric a bit and there was less bleeding, but again that probably won't be a problem on a paper fan.

[gem]

The parasols arrived today, and I have decided NOT to decorate them! They look just fine as they are, and I think anything I try is liable to make more of a mess than anything. They are pretty delicate-looking; they don't seem fragile, but they also don't look like they want to be painted. If I decide I like using one, then I might order one of the more expensive gilded Thai parasols in a color (maybe the chocolate brown). 

Thanks for your input!

[DragonWing]

Just reviving this. I had remembered someone looking or asking about Parasols, and I ran acroos this web site.

http://www.gentlemansemporium.com/gentlemans.php?__utma=1.1425292578.1286288879.1286288879.1286288879.1&__utmb=1.3.10.1286288879&__utmc=1&__utmx=-&__utmz=1.1286288879.1.1.utmgclid=CN-82Ln3u6QCFc9L5QodVV071A|utmccn=(not%20set)|utmcmd=(not%20set)|utmctr=steampunk%20clothing&__utmv=-&__utmk=90054299

Very steam punk