Seen from afar

The first challenge for Iron Craft 2012 was "paper".

Paper waratah earrings

I wasn't quite sure where to start, so a bit of googling found lots of things I was tempted to make, but this one stood out.

The cleverness is all in the original pattern from eveningsong ink. See her excellent tutorial.

I choose to interpret Roger's expression as approval.
You might think he's just fascinated because they move in the breeze.

For those unfamiliar with the waratah, here's a real one for comparison:

Telopea speciosissima - the New South Wales waratah

The waratah is the floral emblem for the Australian state of New South Wales, and also the name of the state's rugby team.

It's one of the proteacaea family, along wiht proteas, grevillias, banksias and macadamias.

The generic name "telopea" derives from the Greek for seen from afar - waratah bushes can grow up to 3-4 metres high, with the flower on long stems at the top.