Island Paper Chase, the newest business in Vashon’s town core, opened earlier this month and features the origami art of islander Alice Larson.

The store, located next to Sporty’s in the former home of the liquor store, serves as both a storefront and office for Larson, who works as a social welfare researcher when she is not folding paper into ornate shapes.

The store showcases her creations, ranging from tiny flowers to an origami peace flag, similar to the United States’ flag, but with cranes dotting its blue field instead of stars. Larson made it by folding 3,750 pieces of paper, joining them together and sewing it all onto a cloth backing; she intentionally did not keep track of how many hours she put into it, she said.

Other artwork includes the Seahawks’ logo, constructed with 1,000 meticulously folded paper cranes, a lamp with an origami shade and 4-foot-tall flowers.

Cranes have a long tradition in origami and were important symbols in several cultures. According to an information sheet at her store, in China and Japan, cranes were symbols of longevity and prosperity.

To honor some special occasions, people will fold 1,000 cranes; Larson noted she has completed at least 10 pieces with 1,000 cranes. She has also made curtains and backdrops for weddings out of long strands of cranes joined together.

“I would like to do more of that,” she added.

Before moving into the heart of town, she worked for 26 years in Vashon Village and showed her origami work at the Strawberry Festival and on the studio tours. Facing a sewage backup at that office and a rent increase, she relocated and opened this month in time for the first Friday gallery walk.

“The reception has been really gratifying,” she said. “I love this location. I moved two blocks, and I feel like I moved to a totally different world.”

While she folded gum wrappers in elementary school, Larson said she began doing origami in earnest in 1992, when she had repeated long conference calls for work. She started folding cranes to keep her hands busy and judged the length of calls by how many cranes she made.

Now she is quick with the art and can cut, fold and assemble a crane in five to six minutes, she added.

Valentine’s Day is coming up, and Larson said she is particularly fond of it. For the last three years, she has folded 500 hearts with wings and packaged them in bags of 10 and given them away the day before.

“I hand the bags to strangers. I say, ‘Please take one, and tomorrow give one to someone who needs a heart,'” she said. “That is so much fun to do.”

It’s a practice she repeats elsewhere.

“It is relaxation for me. I can fold anytime. If I go to a Chinese restaurant, I feel obligated to make cranes and leave those for the wait staff,” she said. “It’s so easy for me to fold a crane, and it makes people smile. I love that.”

As Christmas neared, she was trying to be open every day, but noted she is a night owl and might keep late hours.

“After Christmas, when I’m here, I’m open,” she said.