Putting together yesterday's Weekend Guide, we came across Portland-based Hiih Gallery's handmade paper lights for the first time and fell hard. Wow, these lights are gorgeous—more like sculptures, really, than lamps—and they're handmade from start to finish, using natural materials including local beeswax and walnut dye. Of course the artists do a good deal of commissioned work, but many designs are readily available for purchase, and even for event rental. Imagine how magical at an outdoor wedding! See more after the jump...

Many of the Hiih (pronounced "Hi Hi") designs resemble natural forms, mostly marine and floral-inspired: pendants that dangle like jellyfish or seaweed; ceiling fixtures with paper petals layered around a bulb to give an ethereal glow. The artists make their own paper, dyeing it with soft colors and sometimes embellishing with paint.

Visit Hiih Gallery's site for many more photos, and for purchasing and rental information. Bay Area residents can meet the artists at Berkeley's Metro Lighting on Friday, April 24, from 5-7pm and Saturday, April 25, from 10am to 5pm.