Seeking Sweetness: Daily Snapshot, Hamantashen from Jenny

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to adding bits of sweetness to my daily surroundings, via sidewalk chalk, small cutouts, and the like--I call it "gentle street art". Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile. This one was an unexpected cookie: a hamantashen baked by Jenny, which she gave to me when I ran into her on the bus. Want to share?

Cake Byte: Taste of Home has Totally Sweet Coloring Book Pages

Click here for the download-able version!Guess what? Jane and Michael Stern, those Roadfood warriers willing to eat the fattiest and most delicious and interesting regional foods, have joined forces with Taste of Home.

And I would officially like to commend them on their Very Good Decision. Why? Because they are in good company--I work with Taste of Home, too!

And it's because of that I feel that I am very well qualified to say that Taste of Home is totally sweet. I know this because I have visited their test kitchens, have done illustrations for the print magazine, and am a regular contributor to their website, where I design kid's coloring book pages.

I'd like to share one of my favorite coloring book pages with you right now, if you don't mind. It is for something called Turkey Wafflewiches (OMG!). You can click here to go do the download-able version.

If you have a kid--or just like to color--you can find the full series here. You can also read the interview they did with me here.

 

Daily Sweet: Cherry Blossom Tuesday

CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to adding bits of sweetness to my daily surroundings, via sidewalk chalk, small cutouts, and the like--I call it "gentle street art". I've decided to start posting a daily feel-good photo, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile. Here's the first of...well, what promises to be many sweet images!

Sweet Dreams: Custom Artwork for Le Reve Bakery in Seattle

So. You probably already know that Seattle's Le Rêve Bakery is a sweet spot to pick up buttery Kouign Amann, croissants, and/or cloudlike macarons. In fact, I'd even deem it worth walking up Queen Anne hill (and to those who know this hill, this is very high praise).

But they're not just good bakers: they also have extremely good taste in art, as evidenced by the recent request of one of the owners that I create this custom piece, as a birthday surprise, for her co-owner! It features sweet treats (inspired by items on their menu) hanging outside of their bakery.

And then, upon receiving the finished artwork, she was so impressed that she commissioned a second one--for herself!

Now, if that's not a sweet story, I don't know what is. 

Visit Le Rêve at 1805 Queen Anne Ave. N, Seattle; online here.

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Art at The Paperdoll in Bellingham, WA

Guess what? Bellingham's about to get sweeter.

That's right: CakeSpy Art will be on show all April long at The Paperdoll, the cutest store in Bellingham!

I have been making an absolute art zombie of myself recently, painting some sweet scenes of my favorite Bellingham landmarks, including but not limited to, scenes of my signature anthropomorphic baked goods at Mallard ice cream:

...and at Mount Bakery:

...and at Rocket Donuts (nom nom):

...as well as many others.

In fact, I worked so hard the other day that after eating a slice of chocolate cake the size of my head and completing four paintings in one go, I had a massive crash.

Just more proof that I never do anything halfway, sweeties.

CakeSpy Art at The Paperdoll, all April long. The Paperdoll is at 312 West Champion, Bellingham WA. Online here.

UPDATE: There will be an artist reception on Friday, April 1 from 6-10 p.m. Because I am working at my store today, I will not be arriving at the reception until approximately 8pm, but I will indeed be there!

Taking It To the Sweet: Have A Sunny Side Up Day, Love CakeSpy

A couple of weeks ago, I found myself with several cutouts of breakfast foods, and one of a robot with a stereo ("leftovers" from the photo shoot for my book, coming out this fall from Sasquatch Books). Now, as you know, having a little handful of cute things like this always inspires me to cause some sweet mischief.

And for no particular reason other than I felt like taking a long walk, was procrastinating, and thought it would be a sweet gesture, I decided to leave them around town in hopes that they might give other people's day a sunny-side-up sort of feeling.

Of course, I let them know who was responsible for their nice day.

This little egg was left on the sidewalk;

This little coffee cup (inspired by the classic NY deli design) declared its love for High 5 Pie on this sticker spied by the retail pie shop;

This one hopes all the news is good news;

This piece of bacon was perched on a piece of street art embedded in the sidewalk near the Pike Street Fish Fry;

This little egg made Good Housekeeping slightly more delicious;

...and this little Lloyd Dobler-inspired robot (not breakfast food, but still cute) decided it was Enough.

Here's to hoping you have a sunny-side-up day!

K is for King Cake: A Coloring Book Page Activity for Cake Lovers of All Ages

Have fun with Fat Tuesday with this sweet coloring book / activity page! Not only might you learn something about a traditional Mardi Gras treat, but you can color in your own King Cake and add your own baby! Click on the image below to be directed to a page where you can download the art in a variety of sizes!
Download it for free!
K is for King Cake
The New Orleans descendant of the French Galette des Rois, this yeast-risen cake is characiterized by its rich (usually cream cheese, praline, or both) filling and thick glaze (glaze rather than frosting is ok in this case, because of said rich filling). It crops up in bakeries after the Epiphany, and remains a stock item until Fat Tuesday (a final last hurrah before the restraint of Lent). Oh, and it also has a prize--a feve--usually a little naked baby inside. But approach prize-seeking carefully, ‘cos while whoever finds the prize is declared King, that person is assigned to buy the cake next time.

 

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Entry in Sock It To Me's Design-A-Sock Contest

So, I just entered what is probably the best sock design ever in the Sock It To Me "Design-a-sock" contest. The image is above. You're probably not even reading this because you're so enchanted by the design.

Don't you think I should win? If so, starting March 7 on the Sock It To Me facebook page, you can help by weighing in on the finalists. I know I'm giving you advance warning, so don't worry, I'll remind you again. Because I know you'd totally wear these socks.

In the meantime, check out all of the other awesome sock designs at Sock It To Me!

Cake Byte: CupcakeCamp Seattle 2011 Coming on April 17

Hey, sweeties. Remember what an awesome time CupcakeCamp 2010 was? Well, forget about that, because CupcakeCamp 2011 is coming, and it promises to be bigger, badder, and buttercreamier.

Here are the details. I know I'm announcing it early, but I'm excited because I did the artwork for the poster again (pictured above) and I really, really want you to see it; and, you know, it's always nice to have something to look forward to, isn't it?

Date:  Sunday April 17, 2011. 
Time: 12PM- 4pm
Location: The Canal, a Jewel Hospitality property in Ballard
5300 34th Avenue NW Seattle, WA 98107
Why: Because who doesn’t love cupcakes? Plus we will have some fun competitions and all proceeds go to a good cause!

HOW:Purchase tickets HERE for $8 or $10 at the door.

Ticket valid for 6 mini cupcake tastings or 3 standard size on the day of the event only. No refunds available.

For a preview of the awesomeness that awaits you, check out this epic post on last year's event.

Sweet Kisses: Fun and Puns with Hershey's Kisses

Let's kiss.

Hershey's Kiss, that is. These little morsels are not only sweet, but so much pun--I mean, fun. Want proof? OK. 

Here's a batch of mischief I baked up with this fistful of kisses:

Kiss the Sky

Long Kiss Goodnight

Sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g

Kiss and Tell

Forbidden Kiss

Sealed With a Kiss

Hugs and Kisses

Kiss of Death

Rude Kiss

French Kiss

Henry Kiss-inger

Kiss-off

Cake Byte: CakeSpy Underwear Designs in the Works!

Today was more fun that most days when people asked me what I was up to, because I was able to say "I am drawing cupcakes, unicorns, and robots to have printed on underwear". With a straight face, because it was the truth.

Here's the mockup I am currently working on, for a three-pack of totally sweet undies, featuring my favorite characters, in hues inspired by some of my favorite dessert flavors and hues: mint green, chocolate brown, and cake-frosting pink. They feature a robot with the caption "awesome", a cupcake with the caption "sweet", and a unicorn with the caption "magical". Of course, it goes without saying that these captions are funny and true about the wearer as well. 

You don't have to tell me you'd wear them, because I already know. 

Coming soon to CakeSpy Shop!

More Sweet Art For Sweethearts: Custom Romeo and Juliet Pie Painting

This Valentine's Day, the artwork I did for Bleeding Heart bakery wasn't my only delicious commission!

I also created a very sweet piece for a celebrity piemaker named Kate Lebo in Seattle. This one did present a challenge--said piemaker presented the situation to me as such: "I am a pie maker. My boyfriend has to avoid gluten. Is there any way you can portray this with star-crossed lover slices of pie?".

The answer, of course: yes. Yes, I can.

So what I did was create a scene of two pie slices atop their family flours, with the Romeo-pie, even though he knows that delicious Juliet may be the death of him, saying "Thou art my flour, sweet Juliet!"

Now, that's a love story we can all agree is totally sweet!

Sweet Art for Sweethearts: A Valentine's Day Commission for Michelle of Bleeding Heart Bakery, Chicago

So, I am not a celebrity baker. But--I do artwork for celebrity bakers.

It's true. And this Valentine's Day, I had the exquisite pleasure of making life just a little sweeter for the entire family behind Chicago's original purveyor of "punk rock pastry", Bleeding Heart Bakery (mother and father of said family, btw, are the authors of new book Who You Callin' Cupcake: 75 In-Your-Face Recipes that Reinvent the Cupcake). It might have been the sweetest commission I've ever received--one piece each for the entire family.

And--full freedom to create pieces with minimal art direction (booyeah!). Here's exactly what I was given as guidance for each piece, and what I came up with:

Can you make me some things for my family for Valentine's Day? I would like to make a print for each member:

Oliver (newborn, first piece of art for his room, he is named after Jamie Oliver): so for this piece, I created a mother and father-cake with a baby-cake surrounded by "real" food...

Sofi (really likes puppies and kitties): for this piece, I created a sort of Eloise-meets-cupcake-meets puppies and kitties piece, pictured top);

Gabe (all about Dr. Who): for this piece, I made a cupcake Dr. Who surrounded by space-type food items;


Vinny (cake decorator): for this piece, I made a Vinny-lookin' cupcake making a tribute to his sweetheart, Michelle!

...and, as the icing on the cake, a piece portraying the whole crew having a food fight.

Best of all? Michelle, who commissioned the pieces, put full trust in me, so she was just as surprised as the rest of the family when she received them! How sweet is that!?

Have a sweet Valentine's Day, everyone!

Batter Chatter: Interview with Susan Biebuyck, Donut Painter from PA

Believe it or not, I know three notable donut (or is it doughnut?) painters from Pennsylvania. I'm not exaggerating. The first one I became acquainted with was Nancy Bea Miller; the second, Mike Geno (and I actually own one of his originals--so take that!), and now, Susan Biebuyck.

Want to learn more about Susan and her work? Well, you could check out her website (and you should)...but why not also get to know her a little better in interview form, too? Here's the 411:

First off: donut or doughnut? In a sentence doughnut; as a title donut.

Second: cake or yeast? Yeast, top fermenting, thanks.

What is your favorite place to get donuts, and what is your favorite flavor? Dunkin, I'm torn between sugar twist and peanut butter icing on glazed.

Do you prefer to paint donuts with or without holes? Both, it depends on what medium I'm working with.

Do you ever eat the donuts after you paint them? No, but my family constantly asks they can have one. Often my still life sets slowly erode as the painting develops.

What is your artistic background? I've been an artist my whole life. When I was 14 I started working at Hershey Park as a painter. It was a sweet job for a teenager. In the mid-1980s - late 90s doing graphic design and illustration. When I became a mother, I decided to return to fine arts. I attended Kutztown University near my home in Berks County PA.

What medium do you work in, and why? I am an art supply junky. I love to play with materials. At some point in my career I decided to focus on one subject for a period and play with all the different possibilities within that subject. So I have in the past been known as "the pear lady" before I became "the donut artist." Often I exhibit oil paintings, watercolor, pastel and acrylic all in the same show. I also love to make soft sculptures.

Aside from donuts, what are some of your other favored subject matter(s)? Actually, I am a foodie. I love to paint food. I love to cook and have an extensive cook book library. I grew up watching a show called The Galloping Gourmet when I was very small. I used to draw while watching his show. His food and humor were sometimes the subject.

What's the next big thing you're working on and excited about? I've been working on a series of paintings of my daughter and I recently did a self couple of self portraits with donuts. My donuts are currently exhibiting at The GoggleWorks Center for the arts (where I have a studio), at the Banana Factory in Bethlehem, PA, and at the Main Line Art Center in Haverford, PA.

Want more? Visit Susan's site here.

Taking it to the Sweet: Paletas Popsicle Art

As you know, CakeSpy is a big supporter of the idea that sweetness ought to be infused in your life on a daily basis--both literally and figuratively.

And clearly, the couple behind The Paletas (discovered by a sweet spy tip from CS buddy Tom) are my sweet soul-mates: they create popsicle art that they leave around their world, in an effort to give people pause and ideally add a sense of whimsy and joy to their lives (not unlike my fake cupcake project!).

Although they prefer to remain anonymous, one of the creators was kind enough to give me a small mission statement:

We draw and make things all of the time and one day we were at the craft store and saw the little popsicle sticks so we decided to make some small clay pops that we would just glue in random spots. No real reason, just something strange for the passersby. Eventually they evolved into anthropomorphic creatures, I think the one's with faces draw people in a little more, you connect with whatever emotion they have. So now we mostly make plastic pops and stickers. The plastic is so much fun to experiment with, it's kind of expensive but way easier to work with than clay. There is no real reason for doing it other than to make the observer's surroundings a little more interesting and inspire people to wonder. It's something to do, a creative muse to focus our efforts. It's also tons of fun trading art with other artists around the world. 

Why go to all that effort? As one of the Paletas so sweetly put it, "Sometimes a sense of wonder can inspire the imagination of the viewer/finder. "

If that isn't a sweet outlook, I don't know what is, friends.

Check out art that is "cold as ice, twice as nice" on The Paletas tumblr page and on Flickr!

Sweet Giveaway: Sweet Art For Sweethearts!

For no particular reason, other than I think you're sweet and I like you, I'd like to offer up a sweet giveaway: a framed CakeSpy print!

This 5x7 framed print depicts a sweetly subversive scene: Cuppie enjoying a red velvet cupcake and some delicious coffee! It has an inner mat and is printed in vibrant ink on a thick cardstock paper.

And it will go to one lucky winner! How do you put your name in the hat? It's, like, totally easy. Just leave a comment below weighing in on this important question: when it comes to Red Velvet Cake, what is your favorite frosting? A traditional boiled frosting? A classic cream cheese frosting? Or perhaps a vanilla or even cocoa buttercream?

This giveaway will close one week from today, on February 13, at noon PST. The winner will be announced shortly thereafter. Of course, if you can't wait to buy CakeSpy art, click on over to cakespyshop.com!

Cake Byte: Deliciousness, and CakeSpy Artwork, at The Original Bakery, West Seattle

Even if you live in Seattle, you might not ever have visited The Original Bakery.

You see, that's because it's in a mythical part of the city called West Seattle (also known as "the place where the car-less do not go"). And what's more, it's on the "other" side of West Seattle (also known as "not the Junction").

But here's the thing. You not only should, but need, to visit this treasure of a bakery, which has been around for something like 80 years, and continuously owned by the same family for over 30 years.

Not to be too pushy, but I'd like to present a few reasons why.

Photo: Lara FerroniReason 1: Just Donut. Their donuts, which are simple and unfussy, have a secret: they are filled with crack. Well, OK, this is not exactly true, but they are equally addictive. And I'm not the only one who thinks so: when I recently visited the bakery to hang artwork while they were closed for business, at least three people tried to come in and ask for donuts, and all were so sad that there were none. These donuts have a devoted following.

Reason 2: Danish Delight. Their cream cheese danish, which is rich, flavorful, and beautifully chewy, nearly brought a tear to this transplanted East coaster's eye.

Reason 3: Under my Thumb(print). Looking for an old-fashioned, nutty, buttery, thumbprint cookie? They have a solid, classic version here, like Grandma made, but better than my grandma made (no offense, grandma).

Reason 4: Challah! Anna Alonzo, part of the family who owns the bakery, is not only completely cool, but she bakes a mean challah. It's not in regular rotation (yet) but if you see it, you'd be wise to buy a loaf or 10.

Reason 5: Keeping it in the Family. Owned for over 30 years by the Alonzo family, this is very much a family operation, with Bernie and his daughter Anna working in the kitchen--this place is a fixture in the community. This is the type of bakery that people get nostalgic about when they move away. 

Reason 6: They have CakeSpy art! Yeah, it's true. I just hung a very sweet series of paintings in the seating area, so not only can you enjoy the awesome extolled in reasons #1-5, but you can also buy CakeSpy artwork. You. Know. You. Want. To.

The Original Bakery, 9253 45th Ave SW, West Seattle; online at theoriginalbakery.com. Oh, and they're on Twitter and Facebook too.

Taking it to the Sweet: Sidewalk Chalk to Make the World a Sweeter Place

Truth? Seattle can be dreary in the winter. Especially after Christmas, when all of the holiday lights come down. Actually, it is this Spy's firm belief that this is a big part of the reason that coffee and pastries have such a big presence in the Emerald city: we have to keep warm and cheerful somehow.

And today, I decided to make my cold-and-rainy commute to CakeSpy Shop a bit funner by leaving a little sweetness in my wake. Sidewalk chalk in hand, I made the world (and my walk) just a little sweeter, like so:

This utility marking of some sort, originally just an unassuming number five, got an automatic sugary makeover;

a manhole got turned into a cake-hole;

a tagged doorway got a sugar-coating;

...of course, at one point I did have to tell Cuppie that he was a bit behind the times...

Cuppie found a waffle in the urban wilderness;

instead of stop, I said "GO!" to sweetness;

...and though it's not necessarily cake-related, I left an optimistic note of sweetness for whoever might happen upon it:

These sidewalk chalk tributes likely washed away quickly, but talk about a way to brighten up a rainy day!

Sweet Art: Andy Warhol News Quote

What with all of the talk lately about how the time is high for pie and the cupcake is dead, it seemed appropriate to offer up another Warhol quote, illustrated to comment on the subject, from his brilliant book The Philosophy of Andy Warhol : (From A to B and Back Again). This quote--"I'm confused about who the news belongs to"--seemed to work nicely.

Team pie or team cake? No matter how you slice it, it's gonna be delicious.