This red brick mansion gingerbread cookie house took Pat Ashley Howard over 650 hours to construct. It was awarded Grand Prize at the Grove Park Inn’s 2007 National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, North Carolina. Having stolen the show the year prior with her Woodland Winter Gingerbread House, Pat Ashley Howard became the first artist in the history of the competition to win the grand prize two years in a row.
After the competition, Pat Ashley Howard‘s gingerbread brick mansion was featured on ABC’s Good Morning America, Travel Channel’s Christmas to the Extreme, and HGTV’s Christmas Crazy.
Wrought Iron Fence
The wrought iron fence was made with dried pasta noodles.
Brick Laying
The walls were assembled brick-by-brick using hundreds of 3/4” x 1/4” scroll cut gingerbread blocks cemented together with royal icing.
Miniature Gazebo
The white gazebo with domed roof was carefully sculpted with gumpaste.
Decorative Topiary
The green hedges, bushes and 3D sculpted animal topiary came alive with the help of dried parsley leaf flakes.
Sleeping Quarters with Canopy Bed
The bedroom was decorated with gumpaste drapes, tile flooring, an engraved canopy bed, a trio of miniature paintings, a vintage chaise lounge, and a silver candelabra.
Pat Ashley Howard’s Story
Chapter 2 – Brick by Brick
For this house I created a brick mansion. I found my inspiration by searching the internet for majestic homes. This one was a combination of about three or four different architectural designs. I always like to include some whimsy in my entries so this one was surrounded by animal topiaries. The topiaries, wrought iron fence made with pasta, parsley hedges and sugar gum paste gazebo scored high with the judges.
And once again my Grand Prize winning gingerbread house made trip to New York City to be featured on ABCs Good Morning America. Not me, just my house.
That year the Travel Channel came to the Grove Park Inn for a television special called Christmas to the Extreme. They followed me, and a few others at the competition, filming my every move, although I managed to shake them for a little while as I went to the spa for a few hours.
Again, you would think that I would be satisfied with that second win. But no.
NEXT: Gingerbread Hobbit House
Email Pat Ashley Howard: [email protected]
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