The miniature community lost a talented miniaturist and lovely lady, Elly in Amsterdam.  I knew her through a petitpoint group and never met her in person, but she was one of the sweetest ladies and super fun.  She's definitely missed.  One of her close friends is also a talented miniaturist and is looking after Elly's estate.  Josje has a blog of Elly's miniatures for sale, and I bought two items to have something from Elly.  :]

These cat matryoshkas are beautifully painted and actually function.  There's still a set left as of this post.

Too stinkin' cute!

The coal scuttle is something I don't have a plan for, but it is so well made it could be just an antique used for décor in a more modern setting.  :]

One little coal was included.

Mom gave me two needlework books for Christmas that I'm sure Elly would have loved.  The first is Embroidered Cats by Hiroko Kubota.

While it's not an instruction book and not for beginners, the book illustrates the process of turning a photo into an embroidered likeness.  I might need to see about making a needlework Jasper.  :D  With a little planning, it could probably be done in miniature to make a wall hanging.

The other book is Cluny Tapestry Rabbit, a counted cross-stitch pattern by Scarlet Quince.  Elly made a similar one in miniature for a fire screen.  This is a larger pattern, but with a high count fabric, it might be a good wall tapestry in miniature.

Speaking of stitching, I'm starting some sewing projects over on the sewing side of my blog if you're interested in my other creative endeavors.