A traditional symbol of fortune and luck, apparently there are some koi fish that sell for over $20,000. Even more amazing there are people who are willing to pay that much for a fish.

I am not one of them.

I do however find them absolutely beautiful. So instead of digging a pond in my backyard and selling my car in order to buy a koi, I think I’ll just admire these paper koi creations.

These origami koi fish are designed and folded by Sipho Mabona from one uncut sheet of paper.

Koi fish have been a trend in tattoo art for years. Faye & Co used that pairing as their inspiration for these wedding invitations.

Created by Lara Fisher these koi light sculptures remind me of a glowing fish tank at night…very tranquil.

Ikea is a wonderful  source of contemporary design and it’s hard to resist the clean, simple lines just begging to be starting points for creativity. On my last trip to Ikea, some 2 hours away in Charlotte, I picked up a Knappa lighting fixture. The plastic panels seemed a perfect host for some decorative paper.

Once I opened the box and skimmed the instructions, I realized adding paper to the design would be easier than I thought. No glue was needed! I could use one plastic panel as a template and simply layer the cut paper over the plastic as the lamp was assembled. The hardest part would be choosing a paper. Almost anything would do as long as it was not too thick. In the end, I chose a white embossed cotton paper. It would keep the overall design impact close to the original, but add a subtle texture.

The contents of the light kit are simple – a snap together plastic frame and semi translucent plastic shade petals.

Once assembled, the frame looks like science project but soon it will completely covered.

To cover the plastic petals, I used 3 sheets of 22″ x 30″ Butterfly Embossed paper. I traced the pattern on the wrong side, rotating the direction of the pattern as I moved around the sheet. Changing the direction of the pattern from piece to piece helps the pieces fit tighter on the sheet and also makes the overall pattern more random in the finished piece. Once all the pieces were traced and cut, I punched the holes for the snaps with a paper punch. Don’t worry if the holes are a bit larger than those on the plastic. The size difference will not show, and adds a little ease for the paper to curve over the plastic.

The assembly of the light follows the enclosed Knappa instructions with the exception of layering the embossed paper over the plastic petals.

The finished light has lots of texture added to the beautiful lotus shape.

…or rather junk to turn into treasure.

Dark, jumbled, & piled floor to ceiling with furniture, these are the best kind of places. When we moved to Raleigh a few years ago we quickly discovered Garage Brothers (who we hear are in talks for their own reality show), located about a millisecond from our office. They have since opened a retail store a bit farther from us but the stuff in the warehouse is still what we love to dig through.

Since they were having a charity event Shelly and I used it as an excuse to head over there and see if we could find anything with makeover potential.

We had to search a bit and climb over a lot of stuff but here are a few things we found.

This huge mirror was only five dollars!!!

And of course we always find something to giggle over when we go…someone’s going to have a headache

but no worries, just swap it with this giant one.

And just make sure you don’t get run over while loading up your car

Luckily we made it out of there okay, car all loaded up, and ready to start some new projects.

So what’s your favorite place to go treasure hunting?

I’ve been fascinated with refinishing and repurposing furniture since I was a teenager, some 40 years ago. I can’t say I’ve become an expert, but the fascination remains and I’ve been continually inspired by the amazing makeovers showcased on designer blogs and websites. Encouraged, I’ve decided to post some of my attempts here in the hope they will provide additional inspiration for redesigning everyday objects and reclaiming flea market finds. And of course, paper will be a key element of the redesign.

This old vanity was found in a junk shop in Lancaster County, PA. It was missing it’s mirror and chunks of the bird’s eye maple veneer, but I fell in love with the graceful lines of the cabriole legs and the slightly bowed front. The missing top parts made refinishing the veneer a bit challenging, so it sat in the barn gathering dust for years until the silver washed cork paper landed on my desk and I started yearning for a makeover to showcase it’s amazing texture. Using the cork paper to cover the damaged veneer was a quick fix and spray painting the legs and trim sterling silver seemed like it would pull the look together with a minimum of fuss.

The original condition of the table included peeling veneer and surface stains but the structure was sturdy.

I re-glued the loose veneer with wood glue and patched the gaps with wood putty. When the putty dries and is sanded, the surfaces will be flat and smooth. Spring clamps keep the veneer tight to the wood under it until it dries.

Once the gaps were filled and the surface was smooth, I wiped the table with a tack cloth (or lightly dampened towel), sprayed a coat of gray primer, then a few coats of Krylon Sterling Silver allowing the paint to dry well between coats. The surface is starting to show a soft silver glow. – not too shiny.

Once the table was painted, it was time to apply the cork paper. I cut the pieces slightly oversized with a mat knife.  Before I glued the pieces in place with wood glue, I carefully roughed up the paint surface to be covered by the cork paper with sandpaper for a better bond.  Once the paper was in position, I covered the cork with pieces of acrylic glazing and added the clamps. The acrylic glaze does not stick to any oozing glue, helps apply even pressure and allows a clear view of what’s going on. (Thanks to my husband, Jon, for that tip). When the glue is dry, the acrylic glazing is removed and the excess cork paper can be cut away with a mat knife.

Ultimately, the patching on the table top was not covered well by the silver paint, so back to the drawing board. I sanded it heavily and brush painted it with semi gloss bronze paint. I like the way the bronze reinforces the hint of warmth from the brown cork that peaks out from under the silver wash.

Even after 8 years I still get so excited everytime a new styles comes in the door. These new styles from Laura Berretti just came in a few days ago & as always she doesn’t disappoint.

I’m fascinated with these spanish wave designs.

I’ve seen this type of marbling pattern before & always wondered how it was created. Laura tells us the pattern was supposedly invented by a drunken Spanish marbler in the 1800′s. It is produced by rocking the paper back and forth while making it. I think history shows sometimes great things come out of a slightly “altered” state of mind.

I also think this new aqua stone marble is absolutely stunning…which of course means I snagged a sheet for myself.

Using the same idea I did here, I popped the marble behind an old etching I had. Originally the print was framed in a basic white mat but because the paper is so yellowed from age I always felt the white matte was way to stark. Now with the aqua marble behind it I love it.

Now the yellow aging of the paper plays off the gold veining in the marble & instead of the etching looking old and dingy it has a gorgeous antique appeal.

We should have them up on Paper Mojo soon (I promise I won’t keep them all for myself).