Gingerbread Journey 2012…. The Continuing Saga

Well, obviously it’s no longer 2012! Yep! I said 2012! Check out my post of our Gingerbread Journey so far. This past year was busy with both Kristina & I planning our weddings and getting married. Because of the wedding planning, moving and such, I didn’t actually finish Gingerbread Creation 2012 until this past weekend. (I know! It’s already 2014!) Anyway, Do you remember my inspiration that I had to my 2012 Gingerbread Creation?

And our motto of “GO BIG OR GO HOME!” was very prevelent, when I tackled, not 1……but 7 houses!

Laura Ingalls Wilder has been one of my most favourite authors for as long as I remember. Mom read the books to my brother and me as a bed time story when we were little. When I was a teenager, I fell in love with Laura & Almanzo’s story. (You’ll notice that “These Happy Golden Years”, Laura & Almanzo’s courting story has been taped back together!) Someday I will visit the Little House Museums, and see Pa’s fiddle, Laura’s typewriter, and pay my respects at the cemeteries. But for now… I create…..

Book Inspiration: Little House In The Big Woods. Near Pepin, Wisconsin
A “log” house, complete with Ma getting meat out of the smoker!

Book Inspiration: Little House On The Prairie. Near Independance, Kansas
Another log house, Pa is even talking to a Native.

Book Inspiration: On The Banks Of Plum Creek. Walnut Grove Minnesota
Here, the best part was the covered wagon made of gum paste.

Book Inspiration: By The Shores Of Silver Lake. The Ingalls Homestead, De Smet, South Dakota.
Pa is planting the trees, that can still be seen on the homestead today!

Book Inspiration: These Happy Golden Years. Ingalls House in De Smet, South Dakota.
Almanzo is courting Laura, out for a Sunday sleigh ride. (Yes I know that Almanzo’s Morgan horses (Prince & Lady) were brown, but I had already made a grey horse for a different house, and ended up using it for this one instead)

Book Inspiration: The First Four Years. Almanzo & Laura Wilder’s First Home, De Smet, South Dakota, was lost to a fire.
Almanzo & Laura are snuggled up on their front step, the night of their wedding.

Book Inspiration: Laura. Rocky Ridge Farm, Mansfield, Missouri.
Elderly Laura & Almanzo. Note, Almanzo is leaning on a cane, due to being striken with diphtheria as a young man.

Gingerbread Journey

Well, after spending two days immersed in the world of Gingerbread Creations I thought that I would share our Gingerbread Journey with you.

First off, for those of you who don’t know Kristina & I, a bit of background story: In 2003 Kristina and I lived together, and that Christmas is when we began our Gingerbread Journey. In our first attempt at Gingerbread houses Kristina made a simple house from a premade pattern out of a magazine, and I designed and built a Nativity Scene. After 10 years of experience, looking back, I can’t believe how crude my scene was that year. Each year Kristina and I get together on a weekend in either November or December or like this year, because of special birthdays, sudden family deaths, and the business of Christmas; January. Other than that first year we have always designed and created our scenes from ideas in our own heads.

First you must have a great dough recipe:

Next most important detail is the Glue or Hard Icing. We learned the hard way in year 1 that to attach candy this “hard” icing is always the best way to go! Otherwise pretty soon candy will be falling of your creation all over the place!

Finally all you need is a great imagination!! Here are our creations from over the years:
Year 1: House (Kristina)

Nativity Scene (Karen)

Year 2: Train (Kristina)

Farm Yard (Karen)

Year 3: Unfortunately due to computer problems, pictures from this year were lost. 😦 (Always remember to back up your pictures!!)
Kristina made a Cul-De-Sac, and I made a daycare center.
Year 4: Living Room Scene (Kristina)

Frosty’s Winter Wonderland (Karen)

Year 5: Castle (Kristina)

Grain Elevator (Karen)

Year 6: FairyTale Land (Kristina)

Rudolph’s Reindeer Academy (Karen)

Year 7: Finished FairyTale Land (Kristina)

Train Station & Santa Train (Karen)

Year 8: Pirate Ship (Kristina)

Berenstain Bear Tree House (Karen)

Year 9: Carnival (Kristina)


Santa’s Workshop (Karen)

Stay tuned for Gingerbread Year 10!!! A little hint on my theme for this year: I drew my inspiration from these fabulous books……. 🙂