Look what I got in the mail!

At the post office were a number of intriguing little parcels for me today, and when I opened them I found these goodies!  (Even though I ordered them, it still feels like Christmas getting stuff in the mail :)

The painting is one of Monet's atmospheric works showing the Houses of Parliament.  This one was painted in 1904, and it's perfect in time period, subject and colouring for my Mum's Edwardian roombox. I bought it from Etsy seller LDelaney and it was a really good value.  Fast shipping, too.

There there were these tiny unfinished turned mortars and pestles and a wee spurtle for stirring 1:12 scale porridge!  The spurtle and one of the m&ps is for the William and Mary house, the other m&p is for the Tudor castle.  They were ordered from Ann Marie Miniatures in the UK.

And last and perhaps best of all is this incredible miniature bear from Bassom Bear in Wales.  This is for my Mum's roombox, as well, as it looks very like her beloved old teddy bear, Jackie, who still lives on a chair in her bedroom :)   When I opened the box, I was gobsmacked by its tiny perfection.

Bassom Bear is on Etsy, and she makes hand sewn miniature stuffed toys, usually around 2 inches tall, which would be large stuffed animals in our 1:12 scale.  Some of them, however are described as "tiny miniatures", like this perfect little bear, which is just under 1 1/14 inches when standing.  It's jointed and has teeny onyx bead eyes and tiny ultrasuede paws, and it's the most perfect little thing I've ever seen. 

I'm going to see Mum tomorrow afternoon and I'll take her these little gifts -- I hope she likes them!