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CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile!
Uh oh, looks like Cookie is confused about its new friend's name! Either way, I think they'll have a grand morning together.
Guess what, sweet friends? I've done another mural. And once again, it depicts anthropomorphic sweets. And once again, it's in a bathroom. This time, it's not in Minneapolis, though: it's in Seattle, at the extremely delectable Bluebird Ice Cream.
That's right: CakeSpy, bathroom muralist extraordinaire, has done it again. This time, it's a scene of sweet treats in Capitol Hill, Seattle, which I am calling "Pike Street is Totally Sweet". Want to see some pictures? OK. My apologies as I have been working early mornings when the light isn't so great.
as you walk into the bathroom, this is what you'll see:
That's right...a scene of the entire block that Bluebird is on, between 12th and 13th Avenues on Pike Street...only in my world, it is populated by Capitol Hill Hipster Sweets!
Here are some detail shots:
...and, of course, a sweet star in the stall itself to remind you of something important while you...ah, do your business:
...yes, I know. It pretty much rules.
You can check out the mural for yourself; it's in the bathroom at Bluebird Ice Cream, 1205 E. Pike Street, Seattle; online here. They will having an official unveiling of the mural at their 2nd birthday party!
Note to other bakeries: interested in your own (bathroom or other room) mural by CakeSpy? I will do it for you. What do I ask in return? You cover my travel, lodging, supplies, and pay me $100 a day (can give estimates on how many days it would take based on the space; the mural featured in this post, if worked on consecutively, would be about a 3-4 day job).
It's that time again. Time for you to come and hang out with me at Seattle Center and buy stuff from me.
That's right: next weekend, over a hundred indie artists of the highest caliber will be showcasing their wares at Seattle Center (including CakeSpy, This Charming Candy, Secret Stash Sea Salts, Mucho Design, and so many more!). Like, hello awesome! Bring cash, sweeties! Oh, and you can read an interview I did on the official Urban Craft Uprising blog here.
OH! AND! I will have a new product on hand: Baby Onesies! A preview of the three styles is at the top of this post. They will retail for $20 each.
Here are the details for the event:
What: Urban Craft Uprising
Date: July 9th and 10th
Times: 11-5 both days at
Location: Seattle Center Exhibition Hall, 305 Harrison Street Seattle, WA 98109 (entrance is on Mercer St. with a parking lot directly across the street)
For the full scoop, visit the official website at www.urbancraftuprising.com
CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile!
Here's a sneak peek at the mural I'm currently painting (um, in the bathroom) of Capitol Hill, Seattle's Bluebird Ice Cream! The mural will be complete in 2-3 days, but you can see the progress today if you visit them, get some ice cream, and be sure to drink lots of water because the bathroom can't be missed!
CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile!
Here, I added my own little chalk-y touch to the sandwich board at Oddfellows Cafe (site of the upcoming Whoopie Pie Bake-off!)--it was already sweet, but I added a little dusting of sugar!
What's totally sweet but a little saucy too?
The artwork of Kelly Brownlee, that's what! And (lucky you) this talented Seattle-based illustrator is going to be showing work at CakeSpy Shop in July!
Now...The art will be up all month but the reception (and your chance to meet the awesome artist!) is on the art walk eve of Thursday, July 14th, 2011!
Here's a description of the show, from the artist:
Summer brings sunny days and sweet nothings whispered on a porch as the sun fades after a long and lazy day. Kelly J. Brownlee's original all new works of art for "Sweet Nothings" are inspired by play on words and anthropormorphic sweet and savory treats, this time, with a summer theme sprinkled in! Cakewalks, chicken strips, and unicorns may never again look the same.
And here's the artist's bio: Kelly Brownlee is a local freelance illustrator who balances her time between her clients, making fanciful wearable items and showing her work at local and national venues. She is currently showing artwork in New York, San Francisco, and Los Angeles.
Come to the artist reception at CakeSpy Shop on Thursday, July 14th from 6-8 p.m.; the artwork will be up from July 5th through the end of the month! To see more of Kelly's work, visit her website here.
CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile!
This was a sweet find in this month's issue of Food Network Magazine, which has an article profiling Matt Targon of WOW Promotional Vehicles. He's done big burgers, Yoo-hoo bottles, and more...but this cupcake truck was clearly the best of the batch!
CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. Here's where I post a daily feel-good photo or image, for no particular reason other than to showcase these sweet little nothings, in hopes that they'll make you smile.
Now, here's a piece of sweet art from the archives! While excavating my collection of college-era artwork, I found what can only be described as "Cuppie 2.0" - an early drawing, circa 2001, which is early evidence of my future-CakeSpy self! It's sort of like looking at the Tracey Ullman-era Simpsons, where the characters are slightly less refined, no?
CakeSpy Note: if you follow me on facebook or Twitter, you probably know I'm partial to observing (and sometimes adding) sweetness in the natural world and urban landscape. 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 a sweet installation indeed: a huge (it was at least as tall as me!) piece of art in the window at Keszler Gallery on Madison Avenue in NYC. These chocolates are delightful, but not delicious: they are fake! It sure is gorgeous to feast your eyes on, though.
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 time I suppose it's a news update too, but this "preview" shot of the upcoming Sock It To Me! Fall line of socks, which includes a cupcake-unicorn-robot design (the pink one!) by yours truly, really made me smile. The socks will be available for purchase later on this summer, both online and in the CakeSpy Shop! (PS - Sock It To Me has a crush on me, too, I think).
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 is just a sweet preview of my recent trip to the Chicagoland area, wherein I got to tour the Wilton test kitchens and take a day course in buttercream, fondant, and all things Wilton. Together with Kristan and Rachel, we were put to the test as cake decorators; here is our magical creation, using wilton products and techniques. We entitled it “Minefield of Magic”. Of course, it was delightful, but not delicious—the cake base was styrofoam.
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 time, the artwork wasn't by me--but found on the streets of New York by CS reader Karen's husband, who intelligently took a photo to send to his sweetie. She was sweet enough to send it on to me! It vaguely reminds me of Loyal Army artwork--a very pleasing comparison, I think!
What's awesomer than hanging out in über-hip McCarren Park in Brooklyn on the weekend?
How 'bout hanging out in uber-awesome McCarren Park with a professional Cake Gumshoe?
CakeSpy will be taking part in the annual Renegade Craft Fair this coming weekend in Brooklyn (one full of sweet memories, where, among other things, I met the awesome Rachel of Cupcakes Take the Cake and Jennifer Pooley for the first time); I hope that I'll see some of your smiling faces! I won't have everything in my webstore (I had to ship it all, after all--that business is expensive, yo!) but I will have plenty of cards, prints, pins, bookmarks, and of course my new favorite product, CakeSpy undies. Here's the info about the show:
The Renegade Craft Fair is headed back to McCarren Park for our 7th Annual Brooklyn Fair on June 11 +12, 2011, from 11am – 7pm each day! Along with hundreds of today’s best makers of handmade goods, we’ll be hosting hands-on crafting workshops and planning a handful of summertime surprises! New York’s most exciting outdoor showcase of indie-craft is always free-to-attend! Food and beverages will also be available!
Here's the official site; you can find a vendor map and more info here.
Oh, hello, friends.
I thought that just in case you were feeling rich this week, I would share my updated sheet of cards. I have several new styles by popular request, including several of my popular quote illustrations, as well as Teacher, Battle of the Buns (Hot Dogs Vs. Hamburgers!), and "Donut Worry, Be Happy".
You can order them a la carte in the online shop; for a bigger, more beautiful view of the entire sheet, click here.
Order CakeSpy Cards and more at cakespyshop.com. They're available at the CakeSpy retail shop too, 415 E. Pine St, Seattle WA 98122!
Fact 1: CakeSpy Loves to bake.
Fact 2: CakeSpy is a prolific baker.
Fact 3: CakeSpy Loves mischief.
It may not be scientific or anything, but what all of these facts add up to is generally lots of fun. Here's how it went down last night.
Now, it is true that I had recently made truffles, gooey butter cake, and millionaire's shortbread for various baking experiments and projects, but when I received a parcel of the new Naturally Nora cookie mixes, I couldn't help but bake up a batch or two.
The chocolate chip cookies were my quarry, and I made two batches: one "plain", and one with two tablespoons of peanut butter added. The cookies came out quite nicely, I think, with a nice, nugget-y look and a soft on the inside, lightly crispy on the outside texture. The peanut butter, while not necessary for deliciousness, sure didn't hurt things (does it ever?).
But now I had a problem: a cookie surplus!
Luckily, this is, as problems go, not such a bad one, so I decided to share my sweet bounty with the world at large. Yup: time to Take it to the Sweet!
and so I put the cookies in sweet twosomes in bags, tied them with ribbon, and wrote sweet little notes to go along with them.
and then I decided on the best place to have a positive and sweet impact: the newsstand! Why? Well, the news can be--how do we say, kind of a downer--so this seemed like a natural and especially good place to brighten someone's day. I think that even if the finder might not be brave enough to eat these mystery cookies, the fact that they found them might just, you know, kind of give them pause in their everyday life, add a sweet aspect to their day, and at least give them a good story.
I chose this lineup on 15th Avenue East because it was under a streetlight and just seemed like a nice little row.
I put some cookies inside of each box, but in the case of USA today, which had not yet been stocked, I put it on the outside, near the payment slot--maybe it would brighten the night of the newspaper delivery-person?
Here's proof that Tom Skerrit loves cookies:
I thought this one, on top of Seattle Weekly, worked especially well.
So there you go--even the news can be made sweeter!
Have a totally sweet day, love CakeSpy.
P.S. Giveaway Alert! Naturally Nora has also kindly offered up a sweet giveaway! Want to win some cookie mix? Sweet! To enter, simply leave a comment below (US only, giveaway closes next friday, May 27 at noon PST) or on the CakeSpy Facebook Page saying how you'd make the world (or maybe just a friend's day) sweeter with these cookies!
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 is simple: a reminder to Donut Worry, Be Happy. I left it at a parking meter in Seattle. Hope whoever found it loves it!
So, if you're in Seattle, you're probably already planning on coming to CakeSpy Shop this thursday, May 12, for the Capitol Hill Art Walk featuring artwork by another awesome Seattle cupcake artist (no, I'm not the only one): Jon of Rampage Toys!
And we've been baking up some magic at the store--not only has Jon done a full installation of paintings, vinyl toys, and prints, but we've also done a few collaborative pieces, AND he did a wall painting as part of the installation!
Here's a peek at how it happened.
Hour 1: beginning with a pencil sketch, and starting to paint in the cupcakes.
Hour 2: Cupcakes become more realized.
Hour 3: Cupcakes get frosted!
Hour 4: Finishing touches!
...meanwhile, downstairs, I was busy at work on our large (24x30 inch) collaborative piece (see picture, top). It's kind of a cupcake meets Sta-Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters scene! Yes!
You can see this magic and more for yourself--there will be an artist reception at CakeSpy Shop, 415 E Pine, Seattle WA on Thursday, May 12 from 5-8 pm; the show will be up all May long. For more of Jon's work, click here.
A collaboration done by SpyMom and MeYeah, it's mother's day. And as such, I thought it would be fun for you to learn more about how my super-famous and awesome mom, Margie Moore, and her influence on my cake-obsessed life (not to mention her influence on my deep distrust of muffins, which are really just ugly cake). Here goes:
A book illustrated by SpyMomMost people know you as Margie Moore, children's book illustrator, but I know you as Margie Moore, baker extraordinaire. And in honor of Mother's Day, I'd like to share your sweeter side.
To start, please, can you tell the story of my first word as a baby?
You were a smart little girl so it was not that much of a surprise that during that time when you were trying to formulate words, the first truly recognizable word that came out was....."chaaalllle". Why we knew you meant chocolate was because we were having a family dinner party and of course there was a nice big chocolate cake ready in the kitchen.
You have a heartbreaking story of losing the perfect cake slice at a childhood birthday party. Can you tell us that story?
Even now, the memory of that moment still pains me! Let’s put it this way, my mother was not a baker. But for my 7th birthday party, she got it into her head to make a sheet cake that looked like a big flying saucer. That is the old Jersey term for a Black & White. Well, my mother nailed this one. All I wanted to get to was the cake that day. So after the Happy Birthday song, my mother carefully cut my chosen perfect piece from the center side of the cake. White cake with a clear line of half chocolate buttercream frosting and half vanilla buttercream....I can still remember my surprise that she even agreed to cut me such a big piece in the first place! And I can still see it on my plate in front of me. Pure bliss. But for some unremembered reason, I got up from the table holding my plate with the piece of cake to throw something in the trash, and all I can think is I must have been in a hurry to get back to the table, which is why not only did the intended item go in the trash, but my coveted piece of cake toppled over into the trash too. Gone. No chance of salvage. Painful. Next I remember my mother showing me there was still another piece with the same half chocolate half vanilla combination, but it was not the same. It did not have the perfect creamy peaks of snow like white frosting and rich chocolate next to it....just not the same.
When you truly want to treat yourself, what sweet treat do you indulge in?
The top treat in my world is good chocolates.
A cake with SpyMom's artwork on it!You are someone who appreciates both the taste and the visual of a wonderful cake. Tell me, what are some of your favorite treats to look at? Do you also like to eat them?
There is no match for a beautiful cake with buttercream flowers. And then well done pastries and hand dipped chocolates. And yes, I love to eat them.
What baked good (or flavor) could you just live without? Why?
Muffins. Enough said.
Who are some of the people, cookbooks, or bakeries that inspire your baking?
Cookbooks from the 1930’s and 40’s have great basic recipes and even better presentation photos of baked goods, the newer cookbooks have better information on how to be successful with baking. My most worn out cookbook is my Fanny Farmer Cookbook that I bought in a candy shop 36 years ago. The recipes in that book reminded me the old fashioned Sunday dinner meals and desserts and I love to recreate that feeling. The flavors of the finished recipes are very pleasing too.
A cake baked and decorated by SpyMomTell me one of your proudest baking moments.
The first time I made a three tier cake, decorated with buttercream roses and decorative swags. Heaven!
More art by SpyMomAnd, since it seems to be the subject of the moment: pie or cake?
Cake.
SpyMom and CakeSpyFor more Margie Moore awesome, visit her website here, or shop for books she's illustrated here
Buy these!It's time for some seriously coo-inducing cuteness: CakeSpy has done a new batch of designs for Taylored Expressions rubber stamps!
This time, the theme is babycakes, and this sweet set of stamps features all sorts of new baby themes--in cupcake form, natch!
These rubber stamps are perfect for choosing your own greeting card adventure or a variety of other crafts!
Nancy Bea Miller's paintings are totally sweet, but not to eat.
Rendered in oil, they're nonetheless fat free to feast your eyes upon, and she's got a great new collection going up at the Artist's House Gallery in Philadelphia (the city that is also the home of the Pumpple).
If you're in the area, you simply must go to the artist reception tomorrow, May 6, 2011; if not, I am happy to give you a preview of what's on show:
...a beautiful doughnut:
...some not-sweet but still delightfully carby pretzels;
...cupcakes...
....more cupcakes...
...and yet more cupcakes.
That's right. Best! Show! Ever! Here are the details for the artist reception(s):
Friday, May 6th, 5-8:30 p.m, and then again Sunday, May 8, 1-4 p.m. at Artist's House Gallery, 57 North 2nd Street, Philadelphia; online at artistshouse.com. The show will remain up until May 29. Visit the artist's blog here.