I've been thinking a lot about this year's community gingerbread contest. Good thing, because Jessica and I received our invitations and entry forms in the mail yesterday. With the deadline bearing down, I've been pondering how I can integrate some sort of stunning glass or ice structure into this year's entry. I've got to say I'm inspired by that intriguing, glistening Fortress of Solitude.
My Grandma Wills and I used to make rock candy on her stove way, way, way back in the 1950s and '60s. Just when I decided that rock candy or hard candy would be a great ingredient, lo and behold I found a recipe. And there's also an entire set of good, solid instructions at Cakes by Jan, in Bangor, Maine. Look about half-way down the page for Jan's hard candy recipe. She has an entire page on making hard candy here. I'm using it for a set of windows and for some as-yet-undetermined sculptural element.
For further inspiration ... below is a prime example of a beautiful gingerbread window treatment. This house may be lit electrically, but I'm going to light up the inside of mine with battery-operated tea lights.
Photo via flickr, copyright 2007 by J. Phillipson (flickr member jphillipson). Photo licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 United States License.
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