Sweet Art: Custom Wedding Invites

Love, sweet love. It's in the air this late spring-into-summer, and I know this because I've been working on a bunch of custom wedding orders. In addition to creating custom art for a wedding which featured CakeSpy-inspired Cake Pops, I also did custom invitations for another wedding. I've edited out the details to protect the customer's privacy (the actual invite had the actual date and details, not xx's and general locations) but I think you still get an idea of the cuteness!

Of course, how would the couple know how many would be in attendance if there were no response cards? And so, I also did a matching response card-postcard; here's the front of it. Sweet!

Thanks for taking a look, sweeties, and remember me if love is in the air--contact me re: custom orders! Custom invites start at $300 for a custom-designed piece.  

Sweet Art: CakeSpy and Rampage Toys Show at CakeSpy Shop

Are you ready for some totally sweet and awesome art, friends?

Well, get ready. Because CakeSpy and Rampage Toys are collaborating again, with the best art show ever at CakeSpy Shop! Here's the shop release on it:

Last year, we hosted a show featuring paintings and toys from Seattle based character designer Jon Malmstedt - RAMPAGE TOYS! Jon is known for his cupcake monsters running through towns destroying all that they find, flying to space, and traveling undersea. You may have heard, but our founder, Ms. CakeSpy, is pretty well-known for her OWN cupcake-themed artwork, so obviously, a collaboration was bound to happen! Come and see all of their AWESOME collaborative works for yourself Thursday, May 10th from 5-8pm--you can expect tattooed unicorns, dinosaurs chasing treats, and more!

Here are the details:

Opening reception: Thursday, May 10th, 5-8 p.m. Facebook event page here.

Location: CakeSpy Shop, 415 East Pine Street, Seattle WA 98122

Don't panic if you can't make the opening; the art will be up all month, and very soon the art and prints will be available at CakeSpyShop.com. 

Sweet Art: CakeSpy's Mural at High 5 Pie

Oh, hi guys. You know how I love to (totally normal) do murals in bakery and sweet-shop bathrooms? I did a mural in the bakery bathroom at Cake Eater bakery in Minneapolis (now a doughnut shop) and another at Bluebird Ice Cream in Seattle.

Well, I just realized that I never told you that I did a third one, at High 5 Pie in Seattle.

If you've been to High 5 Pie recently and used the restroom, this is probably not news to you.

But if you haven't been, or if you happened to use the "not as awesome" bathroom (they have two), you might not have seen my mural. So I'm going to tell you a bit about it. Before I started, the bathroom looked like this:

But then I took out my pencil and started making marks on the wall. I made sure to make a sign so that I wouldn't be...ummm...interrupted.

And I broke out my paint and got to work.

The owner, Dani, had been concerned about my precious mural being graffitied--I didn't mind if it was, but it gave me an idea: what if I made it graffiti-themed? Sweet little pie taggers!

Here are some shots of the finished work. My apologies as bathrooms never have amazing light for photographs!

Of course, I fit in some little references to artists I love, like Keith Haring...

...and Banksy...

...and of course a taco in love with a hand pie, a love story that is not gonna work out, I don't think.

You can see me taking a picture in the mirror here. I painted all that!

So, if you find yourself in Seattle, go to High 5 Pie. Eat something delicious. And use the bathroom! But don't forget...

Thanks to High 5 Pie for letting me hang out in their bathroom for a long time!

Sweet Art: Pop-Tarts Vs. Toaster Strudel Death Match

Who do YOU think will win this battle?

The original is available for purchase here!

Cover Up: a CakeSpy Book Cover Outtake

Now, because you own, treasure, and probably cuddle with my book every night, you are well aware of what the cover looks like. If you have forgotten, go ahead and refer to the pretty picture at the top of this post.

But you know, the cover didn't just make itself. I did the illustrations, but then I worked with an amazingly talented art director/designer to make it into the masterpiece it ultimately became.

But here's just a quick peek at one of the images we played with along the way - a fun peek at the process and some of the ideas we worked through and tweaked along the way!

...fun, but I am sure glad we kept tweaking it to make the cover that graces the book! Don't forget, you can buy my book here, and don't forget to enter this totally sweet contest inspired by the book! You could win an all expenses paid trip to Seattle to eat cake with me!

Sweet Love: A Special Custom Artwork Order by CakeSpy

So, sometimes I do custom artwork. Not very frequently anymore, because quite frankly, after considering the time and energy I put into each piece, I don't make much money at all. Now, I personally know that this is not what it's all about, but sadly, my landlord doesn't seem to share this viewpoint.

But recently, a very sweet fellow convinced me to make an exception for his girlfriend, who he said would (I am paraphrasing) make his girlfriend's Christmas a zillion times more magical.

His girlfriend, it turns out, is the baker and writer behind The Miss Cupcake. The piece I created reflected all of the sweets that she bakes, combined with my style and characters. I didn't exactly have proper time to work on it--I was sketching while waiting for a plane to LA, I was painting in a hotel room, I was finishing the piece and shipping it after taking a red-eye flight. Whew!

But ultimately, the time and energy was worth it, because shortly after Christmas I received this note from the Cupcake Miss behind The Miss Cupcake herself:

Dearest Jessie Oleson/Cake Spy,

I am utterly speechless. After months and months of ohhing and ahhing over your custom portraits, I have in my hands my own personal cakespy.

My lovely boyfriend, who is officially the sweetest boy ever invented, went behind my back, to a fully-booked cakespy, and commissioned you to do a custom Miss Cupcake watercolor.

Jessie. BEST PRESENT EVER. I shook, then I slapped him, then I cried! It's me..it's beautiful. It is the most thoughtful and most amazing gift that I have ever received in my life. Thank you for defying rules, for extending yourself through an utterly stressful time (aka an ultra famous book tour!), and for making me an absolutely joyous receiver of one of your beautiful portrait babies.

... Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you Thank you I think you get the point.

Well, I must say - this note made it all worthwhile. A sweet moment to share with you, dear readers! To buy artwork by me, visit cakespyshop.com.

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Image, Warhol Kiss Quote

CakeSpy Note: Every now and again I post an image here, for no reason other than to make you smile. This one is a sweet treat indeed: an interpretation of an Andy Warhol quote as an illicit affair between pie and cake.

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Image, Diet

CakeSpy Note: For no particular reason, other than to sweeten your day, I post a feel-good image here every now and again. Today's image: Diets, and my thoughts on them. Yes, that about sums it up. (Die)t!

Seeking Sweetness: Daily Image, Cupcakes At Tiffany's

CakeSpy Note: For no particular reason, other than to sweeten your day, I post a feel-good image here every now and again. Today's pick: a recent image I painted, Cupcakes at Tiffany's! I am currently creating prints to sell in my online shop.

Sweet Art: Unicorn Eating a Banana, Robot Eating Banana Cream Pie

Some pictures are worth a thousand words.  This one, however, is worth about a zillion rainbow-beams of happiness. It depicts a unicorn eating a banana, hanging out with a robot eating banana cream pie.

And you too can get in on this awesome: it's available on a mug and as a print online, and will be available at CakeSpy Shop (the retail location) on October 15.