All Steve Light needs is a few rainy days and a stash of simple supplies to make the story A Boy and His Red Umbrella come to life. Using a sage Kolo Noci album as a base, Steve added carefully cut black paper and a touch of gouache to complete the illustrations. On each page prior to an illustration, Steve cut shapes into the Noci pages, showing a glimpse of what was on the page below. The shapes leave just enough of the illustration hidden to let the reader’s imagination run wild.

I liked trying to relate the first cut-out shapes to the second more illustrated page. It is fun to look through the first page to view the illustration below.

Check back for more pages from Steve Light’s story “A Boy and His Red Umbrella.”

To see more from author and illustrator, Steve Light, visit his website. Also, maybe you remember a few of his other projects, like the tea-soaked Kolo Cortina Lux or the Kolo Newport “Sweetness and Light” baby book.

-Kate

Carsch Haus first opened in Düsseldorf, Germany in 1915 and has emerged today as a leading premium department store in Europe. The store features the latest fashion styles, along with a vast selection of household goods, unique gift ideas, and most recently a full Kolo department. Carsch Haus is now a Kolo LX special dealer with trained expert staff to serve new and existing Kolo fans in Düsseldorf.

If you haven't been to Düsseldorf, you should see this amazing city first hand. Modern Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and also renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Culturally, as a city by the River Rhine, Düsseldorf is a home to Rhenish carnival celebrations. Every year in July more than 4.5 million people visit the city's Größte Kirmes am Rhein funfair.

To find a store carrying Kolo near you, visit our store locator located on the website.

For more about Carsch Haus department stores, go here.

-Kate

Quote from the Wikipedia article on Düsseldorf.

Through June’s “happiness” theme, some fantastic portraits were submitted expressing blissful moments and the joys in life. Now we want challenge you to explore the world around you. August’s theme for the Kolo Monthly Photo Contest 2010 will be NATURE. Upload up to 10 of your favorite nature photographs between August 1st and the 31st for the chance to win $50 worth of Kolo merchandise. Winners will be entered to win the grand prize, to be announced on February 1st, 2011.

Don’t forget, you still have 1 week to upload 10 photos for the theme “Friend.”

To get more information or to upload photos, go here. View the winners from May’s GREEN theme and June’s HAPPINESS theme.

-Kate

Kudos to the talented graphic designer and photographers Debra McClinton and Tara Donne responsible for the Real Simple Weddings guide now on newsstands everywhere. The entire issue is cleverly laid out like a photo album.

And thanks to the fine taste of prop stylist Michele Michael, the Photo Preservation section shows off Kolo Newport photo albums and a Kolo Havana Photo Box.

- Ugo

A large red Kolo Havana archival box established a base for artist Falko Reipe to construct this work representing the “Building Blocks of Berlin.” Each piece of art is carefully crafted to fit strategically into the space provided by the Kolo Havana Box. The pieces can be removed and arranged to symbolize different characteristics of the city.

Falko Riepe, born in 1963, studied a variety of different subjects throughout his life, ranging from history and literature to industrial art. Most recently, he works in the construction of exhibitions, stage and theater design and much more.

Also, check out The Personification of Berlin or Karen Stukes's Opera Stage Design, also made with a large red Kolo Havana Box.

-Kate