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A San Diego woman took home first prize at what's considered to be the Olympics of gingerbread artistry.
Evonne Darby from Rancho Bernardo was part of the group that created a "Christmas 'Round the World'" gingerbread carousel that earned them acclaim at the National Gingerbread House Competition in Asheville, N.C.
Their gingerbread carousel was partly inspired by the carousels at Seaport Village and Balboa Park which team members of The Merry Mischief Bakers visited and studied last May.
The team's assignment for the competition was to make a 100 percent edible piece no taller than 24 inches that tells a story.
Judges for the competition included Food Network's Carla Hall and Chef Nicholas Lodge who teaches at the International Sugar Art Collection school in Georgia.
The team estimates that spent about 2,000 hours on the project which has 2,500 individual parts and took four months to just design.
According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, five full-scale 3D models were built in foam core before construction to make sure the design would work with gingerbread.
The Merry Mischief Bakers won $5,000 and various gifts, classes, and pastry tools.
Their winning gingerbread carousel will be on display at the Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville until January 2, 2022.
To get an up-close look at their stunning creation, click here.