Today is Volume 2 of our Christmas Chronicles + GIVEAWAY and we have the pleasure to introduce Alberto Gava from Italy!
Meet the Maker: Alberto from Italy
Hello crafty friends! I'm Alberto, a 28-year-old who lives in the north of Italy, in a small town near Milan. I was born and raised in a small town near Venice, and then I moved here at 19 to follow my dreams...working in a craft shop!
Unfortunately, the shop closed down after COVID, but this gave me the chance to work harder on my passion, cardmaking! After a lot of effort, nights spent coloring, and a LOT of work, I can proudly say that I can do this for a living!
The Project
Im sharing this card using Sweet Holiday stamp set illustrated by Kelly Taylor!
I think "Buon Natale" is the most common one, which means "merry Christmas"! You can also add "e felice anno nuovo," which translates to "and a Happy New Year!" Then we have the traditional "Buone Feste," which is "Happy holidays!"
Tinsel and Traditions: An Italian Christmas Journey
I adore decorating for Christmas! I'm famous in my circle of friends as a "crazy Christmas person" because I usually decorate my whole house for the holidays! We have 5 Christmas trees in the house, and every corner, every little spot has something that screams "CHRISTMAS."
When I was little, I used to decorate with my mom, and we used the traditional red and gold tones! It was low profile compared to what I'm doing now, but I really enjoyed those moments! We also used to do the presepe, which is a traditional representation of the nativity...a lot of people do this in their houses!
Now, speaking of my Christmas decors, since I moved in with my boyfriend, we started making the Christmas tree the first year, and then every year, we keep buying new things and new home decor! We now have 5 Christmas trees, and every room (bathroom included!) has some Christmas decors!
Sounds of the Season: Festive Music from Italy
We only have a few Christmas songs, which are "Bianco Natale" (White Christmas...but it's not as the English one, it's completely different!) and "tu scendi dalle stelle" (You come from the stars). Most of the songs we usually listen to during Christmas are the popular American ones! My favorites are "Carol of the Bells" and "Jingle Bells Rock!"
Gifts and Gratitude: A Very Merry Christmas Giveaway
The Prize: Win the opportunity to choose any 10 products from our website. Entry Details: To enter, simply leave a comment on any of the 6 blog posts in our series. Each comment on a different blog post counts as a separate entry so be sure to comment on all of the Christmas Chronicles blog posts. Eligibility: This giveaway is open to participants from around the world, but you must be at least 18 years of age to enter. Deadline: The entry deadline is December 26, 2023, at 23:59 CST.
Winner Selection & Notification: The lucky winner will be randomly selected from all eligible entries and announced on our blog on December 29, 2023. If you're the lucky winner, please contact us at jen@pfstamps, and we'll guide you through the next steps to claim your prize.
Thank you so much for reading me today; I wish you a very Buon Natale from Italy! 🇮🇹🎄✨
Buon Natale, Alberto
Dear Alberto- Thank you for sharing your Christmas traditions. I plan to google the Italian Christmas songs you listed to see if I can find an online recording. You are a talented card-maker and a talented interior decorator! Your photos are gorgeous.
Your coloring is amazing. I love the presepe.
Love the decorations and the card! You are so talented! I usually change the tree decore every year. But the little tree in the kitchen is always gingerbread theme.
Alberto, you have a beautiful home (from what it shows in the photos) I love the idea of having a tree in every room and as beautiful as your trees. Your story in regards to decorating the tree with your mother…takes me back to when I was young with my 4 siblings, decorating our Christmas tree. We weren’t a rich family, but with 5 kids in those days (I was born in 1971) but my parents did pretty well. I remember lots of tinsel (strands of silver strings) and big light bulbs but it was always festive and beautiful. (and Santa still came to visit us) LOL
Thank you for sharing your story and for giving me back a memory that I haven’t thought about it decades.
Buon Natale e felice anno nuovo to you & your family!
The presepe is beautiful. We set up the manger, but it is much simpler. My Italian friend has squid and other sea foods for Christmas supper. Many traditional customs were continued when family first immigrated to the US. Merry Christmas.