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2023 GBD On-line Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
The Gingerbread-By-Design team is excited to announce the winners of the 2023 GBD Online Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown photo contest.
We were all impressed by the high level of skill and creativity demonstrated in every submission. We extend our warmest congratulations to all of our winners and would like to thank everyone who participated in making this year's competition a success, and a big thank you for sharing your amazing work with us!!!
Keep up the amazing work! We can't wait to see what our talented gingerbread artists come up with next year!
Click here to view the photo album with all the magnificent entry photos!
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Overall People's Choice - Favorite Gingerbread Scene
Brian Peffley
The Stately Manor
Completely edible and decorated all 4 sides.
Gingerbread, Fondant, Royal Icing, and Chocolate.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Overall People's Choice - Favorite Gingerbread Art
Carol Morgan
Grand Piano
Inspired by music and grand pianos. All edible. Gingerbread and Royal icing, edible marker
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Overall Judge's Choice: Favorite Gingerbread House
Michelle Sneath
Santa has arrived
The inspiration for my house comes from the traditional Christmas Eve when Santa has arrived to deliver his gift's. My house is 2’ x 2’ and is 2 1/2 feet tall made of gingerbread. The roof is made from wheat thin crackers. I used Milano cookies for the benches, as well as Rolo’s for their legs. The porch is made of graham crackers and pretzels.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Overall Judge's Choice: Favorite Gingerbread Scene
Barbara Amabile
Dancing Under the Stars
My entry is a scaled down replica of the Nutcracker stage I made last year for a televised competition. I didn't get to finish all the planned details, so this is my completed vision. Clara is sleeping and dreaming of dancing with the Nutcracker prince and the snowflake ballerinas. The stage, trees, furniture, walkway, fireplace and nutcrackers are made from various colors of gingerbread. Figures and drapes are fondant, while the puzzle reindeer are gingerclay. Royal icing holds it all together!
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite "Wow! This is Gingerbread?"
Andrea Watson
Yo Ho Ho Ho
My theme is that landlubbers get Captain Whitebeard mixed up with Santa Claus. He is an alternate reality of Santa. He returns loot and booty to his not so nice islanders once a year and this rowdy crew gets attacked by an underwater beast. They do end up defeating it and celebrate by busting out the rum! My gingerbread components include the kraken head, ship and retention pieces “underwater”. Outside the ship, the tentacles and pirates are fondant and gum paste. The water and gems are isomalt.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Architectural Replication
Arlena McLaren
Merry Christmas From Our House to Yours
This is our home in Baldwin City Kansas. EVERYTHING except the lights is edible. Stonework was carved using a Dremel and enhanced with food coloring and tinted royal icing mortar. The windows are isomalt and the shrubs, edible moss. The deck railing is thin gingerbread and squid ink pasta. The siding, roof, snow and figures are fondant. The 2 figures are my girls enjoying their favorite winter activities. The cardinals are in memory of my father and mother-in-law who passed recently.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Gingerbread Barn Scene
Sandy Parr
Penquin Party at the North Pole
Mostly gingerbread barn, hill, sleigh & gifts, outline of pond - also incorporating marshmallow fondant for penguins with royal icing to finish
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite entry using a Gingerbread-By-Design Template
Andrew Forman
GingerBread Man Gable House
This is our 20th year using GingerBread By Design (and its original website) patterns. We decided on the Gable design, increasing pattern size by 2x. We used the 3rd layout choosing to caddie corner the two houses. We used fondant for the stone lined windows, a candy chocolate rock path, and lots of gingerbread men details. The glass as always is poured boiled sugar/corn syrup which we feel makes the warmest glow with the 100 fairy lights. The roof is made with Bordeaux cookies and jimmies.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite entry using a Gingerbread-By-Design Template
Ivy Gingerbread House
Katherine Bartoldus
Peace and joy on Gingerbread lane
The penguins and gingerbread folks have come together to enjoy all their favorite holiday activities! A dip in the hot tub, exploring the Northern light geode cavern, climbing the rock candy wall, ice sculpting w/ a tiny chainsaw and peeping out the windows to take in all the holiday fun. Windows, hot tub and ice sculpture are isomalt, the geode cavern/rock wall are dyed rock candy. Shingles are fondant. All characters are Wilton sugar decorations. Happy Holidays!
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Religious Theme
Richard H Hosea
No Room
Backgrounds are all gingerbread. The star, trough water and well water are isomalt. Olive tree is made of modeling chocolate and wafer paper leaves. The Palm is gum paste and wafer paper. All characters and animals are gingerbread. Little people are gumpaste. Garden Wall and Arch is fondant. Fondant covers the end and upper room. The sand dunes are different sugars and cocoa powder. The shepherd's field is alfalfa and sage.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Dollhouse/Open Style Gingerbread House
Bob Janson
I'll be Home for Christmas
I'll be Home for Christmas themed similar to my home.
Using gingerbread, chocolate, cast sugar, gum paste, royal icing.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Use of Candy
Annette Bonfiglio
Whimsical Gingerbread Display
Wanted to do something whimsical this year. I used kisses, gum drops, chocolate candy drops, candy canes and fondant. Smoke stacks made of rock candy. Windows are gel sheets. The weather vanes on top of turret and front roof are make from rice paper, color printed on edible food color printer, then cut with Cricut machine. The court yard has gingerbread children ice skating and others watching from the balconies.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Gingerbread Scene: Making Sweets!
Kate Sharbono
Candy Factory
Candy factory that grows candy on the tree then the factory makes the big candy into smaller candies. For the design I found a pretty mandala dots design that reminded me of little candies and then kept finding more for each side of the buildings. I also turned my original design of a clock tower into and stained glass tower.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Christmas/Winter Scene
Pam Lloyd
Kris and Mrs Kringle's residence and reindeer barn
Santa’s sleigh awaits him after tending to his beloved reindeer stocking stuffers, and after welcoming the Odenton, Md. Black Bears hockey team to the North Pole! Structures are gingerbread, roofs are shredded wheat & pecans. Other accents: pretzels, licorice, peppermints. Mrs. Kringle loves her poinsettias and greenery touches!
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Gingerbread Carousel
Tammy Graf
Gingerbread Carousel 2023
Gingerbread Carousel 2023. All is made of Gingerbread except the mirrors and the gold frames. I bought a 7" turn table (used for small item displays). The colors were an inspiration off the Hallmark Channel. (giggles) I used Fairy light underneath the top.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Santa Scene
Dawn Meehan
Santa’s Workshop
Santa's Workshop is dedicated to my three grandchildren, believers in Santa. It is a 360° display of Santa going over his naughty and nice list, Mrs. Claus making her gingerbread cookies, and the elves making the toys, all while the reindeer are having fun outside before the big day. It is made of gingerbread, fondant, isomalt, and royal icing. Everything on the display is 100% edible.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Use of Decorating with Gingerbread
Beverly Cutler
Simple but sweet
House is made entirely of gingerbread with the edition of wafer paper windows . The gingerbread was baked at longer lengths of times to vary colors along with varying amounts of food gel . The wafer paper windows were painted with food gel, glycerin and powdered food color.
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Grand Traditional Style Gingerbread House
Paula Russell
Hitt-Halley House 1838
Virginia Colonial being restored by a relative. Built in 1938
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Most Original Gingerbread Scene
Sarah Cummings
The hidden world
Deep in the woods, the forest gnomes hide. Their secret world of mushrooms houses, and fairy tales. Sneak in and you just may catch one!
2023 Holiday Gingerbread-Smackdown
Favorite Stacked Gingerbread House
Jennifer Olsen Pratt
Whimsical Wonderland
Inspired by Sonny Lee Robinson, this is my third attempt and second successful gingerbread house construction. Used Sugar Geek gingerbread recipe and candy canes, ribbon candy, starlights, royal icing, gumballs, gumdrops, candy sticks, lollipops, melted candy, fondant, skittles, it is 3 stories and 31” high.
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