Panettone Labels

I used to travel down to Italy with PJ when he was a tramper trucker (TV land) - International Truck Driver to the rest of us.

                                                                                         an old map - Italia

I loved the life and had many laughs and scares along the way, I may include some of the stories on here one day but for now ...............
I loved Christmas time, the Italians are soooo good at this time of the year and they always have such good taste in décor   I was introduced to Panettone Cake before I even went to Italy.  One such cake was given to PJ as a 'thank you' for helping the depot unload.  This happened frequently and he only did it to save standing around! 
Panettones came in various wrappers and eventually I had to buy two cakes - such hardship!!! - one for ourselves and one to share with my colleagues at work. 
THEN
I had a brilliant idea of using the cake wrappers to collage the back of my craft room door - this idea was taken from my old flat. 

Let me tell you a story: -
I had a small bathroom in this flat and the toilet was opposite the back of the door.  I had this brilliant idea to collage this space, so gathered the children (not just mine but also their friends) and explained to them what I wanted to do.  I gave them a pile of magazines and told them to tear out the pages that they liked and then I would choose the best and stick them on the door. I think they thought I would stick the complete pages side by side but no!!!  I went through this little (hic!) pile and tore round just the subject  and gradually built up a very messy pile of all sorts of colours and shapes.  One night I mixed up the paste and started to 'do' the door, I included a few family photos, a few pop pictures and mixed them all in including in at the centre - of course! -   Cliff (Cliff_Richard and also Cliff Richard Website).  It was all nicely dried in the morning and was a lovely surprise for the children when they appeared from their beds!!!  The word soon spread and I had visitors nearly all day long........... just to look at the back of my toilet door!!!

Back to Panttone ................. 
during my clearing tidying of my craft room I have found all these labels neatly stored ready for use .......... not!
They are going but ........... they are so lovely .............. such happy memories..........

The bird shaped one at the top of this picture on the left was a Pandora cake which is sold at Easter and is similar to a Madeira Cake (or Simnel in England)

....some feature small works of art ........
Which may just appear on my cards!!!  see Cardius Bloggus

Some of the more expensive cakes came in tins and presentation boxes.  PJ bought me such a boxed cake one year ..................... 

It is like pale blue velvet with a satin ribbon
it sits on my craft room top shelf 
and holds ...............
small cross stitch designs........ 
some stitched....... some waiting........




Oh! by the way ............ did I mention I like tins!

I have lots of small ones as well.  Containing small Christmas left overs - earrings, hooks from the tree, baubles.






and then there are these ............................................











 for keeping Christmas decs in............ of course!!!
The beautiful garland across the tins just fits inside the blue one.


Oh! There are smaller ones of course!





These contained .......... small (piccolo) cakes!








I bought all these in various towns and villages across the north of Italy.  I love Christmas time in Italy.............Boun Natale e felice anno nuovo