Hand-drawn hometown collection
A hand-drawn celebration of Cary, available exclusively at Conscious Cup.
15 oz ceramic mugMicrowave safeDishwasher safe
Town
Cary holds onto its small-town roots while giving families and neighbors plenty of ways to stay connected. Downtown, the Metra station, Lions Park, Cruise Night, and proud Cary-Grove traditions all help create the familiar, welcoming spirit residents know so well.
The collaboration
The Cary Mug grew out of my collaboration with Mike and Rosanna Shipley at Conscious Cup. After I initially created the Crystal Lake Mug, they asked whether I would also make mugs for the other communities where Conscious Cup has shops.
It was so much fun putting the Cary design together, learning the history of the Conscious Cup location and the surrounding area, and discovering the details that residents connect with.
Cary has such strong community pride, and the mug was received incredibly well. I really enjoyed creating it and working with the Conscious Cup team to celebrate the town.
The people behind Conscious Cup
Every mug in this collection grew from a creative partnership with Conscious Cup. It has been a joy to collaborate with owners Michael Shipley and Roseanna Shipley as these five local designs found their way into the cafes and communities they serve.
The story behind the mug
Ashley’s Crystal Lake design connected with the Conscious Cup team and opened the door to a larger hometown collection.
Individual drawings were refined and arranged into a continuous composition made to wrap around the mug.
Conscious Cup introduced the finished Cary design alongside the full five-town collection and its local storytelling campaign.
Inside the illustration
Each element celebrates a familiar part of the community and the ways Cary residents gather, play, and spend time together.
The storefronts and Main Street character at the heart of the village.
The recognizable station connecting Cary with neighboring communities and Chicago.
A favorite community gathering place represented by its familiar Cary Park District sign.
A local green space and recreation landmark woven into the mug’s outdoor story.
Football, volleyball, and school spirit honor the teams and traditions shared across the community.
A classic car celebrates the summer tradition that brings neighbors together downtown.
The drawing
The Cary artwork was assembled from individual hand-drawn studies, then composed to wrap around a 15 oz latte-style mug.
From one town to five
The Crystal Lake Mug opened the door to four more town designs: Cary, Barrington, Palatine, and Libertyville. Conscious Cup introduced all five in November 2022 with a coordinated campaign focused on Ashley’s hand-drawn process and the local identity of every cafe community.
The mugs were created as generously sized, 15 oz latte-style keepsakes, meant to be used at home while keeping a familiar place close at hand.
Journal · Behind the drawing
The Cary drawing grew from a continuing coffee shop partnership across nearby communities.
Read the story
