Carrot Top Studio

We're celebrating! 15 Years of creating clergy stoles!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Tue, 28 May 2019 11:38:00 +0000

What I've learned in 15 years of owning and operating Carrot Top Studio ...

15 - Have faith in an idea. The goal was to be in business for 3 years and look where we are now!

14 - Designing for the seasons of preparation is a favorite.

13 - Communication is key.

12 - Red stoles sell well.

11 - Listening is key. You all have great ideas!

10 - I my taxman more than I did 15 years ago. And he shouldn't read anything into this ranking.

9 - Hard work is worth it.

8 - Writing is our strongest suit but after 405 blog posts there has been improvement.

7 - Learning and curiosity for the sake of the business has led to studying the scriptures and reading many. That's a joy.

6 - Social media can be a good thing. Thanks for linking with Carrot Top Studio!

- it's not all about the money - I really love what I do.

- Making charitable donations because through your purchases has been a special delight.

- Good photographs are important for an online business (duh!?) Check out the website for our recent improvements!

- My family is a really supportive bunch.

- Your compassion, caring, and encouragement make you the best clients to work with! I am so very thankful.

THANK YOU, thank you! Cheers to what is ahead :) …. signing off to go eat that cake!

Why Clergy Stoles? Smells and Bells!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 08 May 2019 21:49:00 +0000

I usually start my day with a devotion from Common Prayer: A Liturgy for Ordinary Radicals by Shane Claiborne and Jonathan Wilson-Hartgrove. The May 4 guiding of song, scripture and prayer ended with some thoughts titled, “Smells and Bell.” Sharing parts of it here —

“We worship a God who came as a material Savior. So when we pray, we can use all of our senses. We see symbols of our faith. We hear words and songs. We smell the incense of our prayers rising to God. We touch and taste Christ in the sacramental life. Just as a whiff of apple pie can conjure up nostalgic memories of home, so our incense can help us pray. But, as Amos declare, if all we have is incense , without justice for the poor and fruit from our prayers we should snuff out the incense and shut up with our songs, because they are nauseating to God. If our material tools help us worship the eternal God and bear fruit for the kingdom, then we keep them. If our material tools lead to narcissism or to an obsession with having the right incense or the correct color of candle, then we need to let go of them. Disagreements in church history have led many Christians to feel like the physical world and the spiritual word are at odds, but it’s important to see them as complements , not opposites. After all, God breathed into the dirt to make humanity. The incarnation of Jesus is all about God taking on flesh and being born as a baby who cries, eats and poops. Jesus uses physical stuff like dirt and split to heal people, and God is always communicating — through rocks and fire (even through a donkey). Physical stuff can help us pray. In the celebration of communion, or the Eucharist, we eat bread and drink wind in remembrance of Jesus. The physical elements help us literally “re-member” Jesus as we are knit together into his body. We are what we eat. A lot of the most sacred and beautiful rituals of Christianity are mysterious. There is more going on than what we see, but what we see can hep us know God at work in the world. ...”

I’ll be the first to admit that clergy stoles like what we create and sell at Carrot Top Studio are not necessary for ministry. But likewise they aren’t unworthy in worship. We pray that the stoles can be used as great complements to help us “re-member” Jesus as we carry on in this business of worshipping and living it out.

Outside the Studio: Stations of the Cross art

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Fri, 05 Apr 2019 13:39:00 +0000

I recently created art for an exhibit of the Stations of the Cross. The focus was to see the traditional station scripture through the lens of the criminal Jesus. What follows explains my process. The techniques and process were very similar to what happens when a stole is created.

I was assigned Station 12 with the scripture being —

Near the cross of Jesus stood his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopus, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciples whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. -John 19:25-27 (NIV)

After reading the scripture in many different translations I turned to books from my own library. These included Jan Richardson’s Garden of Hollow, Christopher Seitz’, Seven Lasting Words, and Listening to Golgotha by Peter Strong.

I also researched Christian symbols. I was drawn to the anchor cross, the pomegranate, and the thought of Mary as a vessel but in the end none of those ideas made the cut. That’s the way it goes sometimes!

I had a few days in the depths of a Michigan winter to spend on the beach. Times can surrounded by nature allow ideas to percolate. This combined with reading Becoming Gertrude by Janice Peterson revealed thoughts about the word BEHOLD that is found in many translations of this scripture. This book about friendship emphasized the thought of caring being equal to choosing to see someone. This was in line with the thinking about this scripture in conjunction with the criminal justice system today. I was soon seeing imagery that would become details in my art. The Spirit seemed to be at work.

The last bit of research was to be inspired by other artists. I looked at the above. Clockwise—

Sorrowful Mother, James Tissot
Crucifixion With A Dominican Friar, Hermann Schadeberg
Pieta, Michelangelo
A Mother’s Lament, Jan Richardson
Jesus Meets His Mother, Jen Norton

Next up was sketching, sketching and more sketching. It’s a process!

Fabrics were auditioned.

Some unsophisticated tools were used. (grin)

But we didn’t neglect the fancier tools!

Embellishments were added.

And bit by bit the finished work came into being!

Above is the completed work and what follows is part of the artist’s statement to connect you to my thoughts on the symbolism…

Contemplating John 19:25-27 through the lens of a criminal Jesus allowed me to consider sorrow, God’s love, the word ‘behold’ and who family is. I wrestled with the following questions:
- When have I been overwhelmed with sorrow and brokenness? If my son was accused of a wrong doing how would I react?
- Who is around me that Jesus wants me to stop and look at as family?
- Do I allow Jesus to reframe how I see others that have been or are criminals?
The symbolic aspect of my art may at times be obvious but it is also open to allowing the viewer to relate their own faith, background and life experience. The details of these three panels include the subtle colors and texture that remind us of Lent; the patterning represents Mary (roses) and John (fish nets); and tears of sorrow are represented in the torn fabric. Notice the mirrored squares. My intention was for them to symbolize God’s reflected love but ironically when I sewed them on they also became prison windows. The middle panel represents the need to ‘behold’ or to pay attention. Lastly, find the triangles that represent those that stood at the cross. The triangles turn into flying geese formations which epitomize the reality of how these creatures take care of each other as a group or ‘family’ as they migrate.

Lastly — a bit of a P.S. — In 2009 I created a full set of stations art. They now reside in a church in Adelaide, South Australia. Here is the post about the piece from 2009 that corresponds with the one that has just been created.

Clergy and Wedding Officiants: A new stole design!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 27 Mar 2019 18:06:00 +0000

Do you have an idea for a stole but can’t find in any store or eCommerce site? Tell us about it! It could be that we could take it on as a one of a kind commission. But we often find what one client needs that is reason to offer it to others also. Such was the case when I client asked if we could create a wedding stole for her pastor husband who often preached about the four loves from the Greek translation of the word. This was a great idea! I mean …. geez that sermon message makes so much sense it was even in my wedding service way back in 1986!

We got to work! This is a detail of the completed stole. Below is the hope, faith and love symbol that is on the stole chest. See the stole in full here. The good news for our client with the good idea is that because she agreed to let us create a limited edition and offer the stole on the website it saved her the cost of a one of a kind commission! That’s a win for all :)

The Carrot Top Studio Library

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Sat, 16 Mar 2019 19:01:00 +0000

Libraries and books have always been special to me. I’m sure it goes back to my parents many hours reading to me when I was very young. They were both readers and valued the knowledge and escape that books could provide. AS I got older the weekly trips to our local library were always a highlight especially when the summer reading program had us going in a full speed ahead in a reading frenzy. So, I’m still a reader today and also have grown to love research. I investigate not just on the internet but from the old way of using books! When we set up our new home in Detroit five years ago we gathered the books that had been in different corners of our former home and created a room that we call “the library.” It’s full of cook books, travel tomes, children’s books, and inspirational business books. Last but not least are the faith based and art books that I turn to time and time again. Through the quiet and calm of this space my mind and creativity are mentally stimulated. The books not only enrich my life but also help inform what I create at Carrot Top Studio.

Artistic Inspiration in New York City

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 05 Dec 2018 18:53:00 +0000

October found my husband and I celebrating our birthdays in New York City for a long weekend. And it was full of art, fabric and inspiration! A glimpse of al that —

An inspirational mural viewed while walking the High Line.

Shopped for fabric in the Garment District. Wow!

So much art in the subway stations! This was a favorite.

Inspiration.

Vestments in the Armenian art exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Found the needle and button sculpture!

Creating a clergy stole with a boat theme

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:18:00 +0000

Late this summer I planned a retreat at the beach in North Carolina. The goal was to read, be silent, seek God's presence in the quiet and work in my sketchbooks. I knew that this would be during hurricane season. But I really didn't think a hurricane would impact the trip! And then Hurricane Florence roared into the coast. I moved to plan B and landed in the sailing capital of North Carolina — Oriental. Despite seeing the hurricane destruction in Puerto Rico last year (blog post here) it was eye opening to be in North Carolina so shortly after the destruction had occurred.  But as I learned from the gentleman from FEMA that I sat next to on the airplane each hurricane is different . 

I had not been in Oriental before but quickly learned that many people in this area are professional fishermen. The site of boats on top of piers and swept onto the land was quite unsettling. This is in addition to the many homes that we saw that looked like they belonged in a war zone with their entire contents on the street for trash pick up was unsettling to say the least. 

The marinas inspired a new limited edition of stoles. See the creamy white Baptism version here and the Ordinary Time version here.

Below is a glimpse of the work in progress. The boats were added next!

We will gladly be sending $50 to the American Red Cross for hurricane disaster assistance for each stole in this limited edition that is purchased. 

Each morning I sat by the Neuse river and read Invitation to Retreat by Ruth Haley Barton. I'd recommend this in preparation for a retreat (in a large group or as an individual) and for the suggested tasks while on a retreat. Despite not having my toes in the sand this time was restorative and thought provoking. 

Driving in this beautiful state also allowed me to admire fields of cotton. I stopped and uttered thanksgivings for the farmers and harvesters that take this amazing plant and get it to those that create the fabrics we use in our products! It was a week of experiencing many blessings.

And the resulting stole! See the Baptism stole here and the Ordinary Time stole here.

A Commission for an Installation clergy stole

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:15:00 +0000

It’s always extra special to create for someone I know personally and recently that was the case. My own faith community was kind enough to request a stole for the Installation of one of our pastors.  The final product wasn’t revealed until Installation worship but this pastor and I worked together to create the design.  The following is an example of what the commission process is like at Carrot Top Studio.

Knowing that the  gifting party had requested a green stole we started the process by asking the pastor for some words or images that were important for design inspiration. He replied with:

“laughter, Puerto Rico, abundance, the Holy Spirit, 

God sees us (like Peter saw the lame man at the temple gates)”

That was an interesting list that proved to be a test of our abilities to connect visuals with. That happens sometimes, but we also love a challenge! 

Our first sketch included a sun to represent the New Testament symbol of the believer’s walk  and a reminder of the pastor’s roots in Puerto Rico where the sun (usually) shines. A descending dove was included for the Holy Spirit with surrounding swirls to represent joy and laughter. An oak tree/cross growing out of an acorn was chosen to recall the fact that great results can be born of humble beginnings and also to speak of the abundance mentioned in John 10:10.

We always consider a commission a process and will not move into the creation phase until the client and our studio are both pleased with the plan. And I’m afraid we missed our mark with the first attempt at sketching! Round two found us presenting these two new ideas:

What would you have done? We settled on the sketch on the left but swapped the cross for a descending dove that had active lines that mimicked the joyfulness of the border. And here is the result —

The Coffee Filter Clergy Stole

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:12:00 +0000

You heard me right! We’e made a stole embellished with coffee filters! I happened to be married to a man who is constantly trying to make his first cup of coffee in the morning . just . so . right. This has required some apparatus experimentation over the years. I recognize this is a little prima donna-ish but we’ve run the gamete of tools from thermal coffee pots to the french press to the our over to the areo press.

My current favorite is the aero press (seen above). It’s a combination of a french press and a pour over method. And oddly I can say that I like the texture of the way the coffee turns out and how quickly you make a quality cup of coffee.

But using this contraption daily has caused the side of me that doesn’t like to be wasteful to want to find a use for the little paper coffee filter that it uses with each press. So of course we had to trying sewing on it!

One thing led to another and the coffee filters have ended up on stoles! The inspiration for this stole series was Roman’s 8:28 …”and we know that in all things God works fo the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”

So the coffee filters on this stole are symbolic of sustenance the way that cup can seem first thing in the morning. But they are also circles to remind us of God’s never ending love. How good is that? The stoles can be seen in full here and here.

What sustains you? Some might say coffee, or exercise or their family. But we’d hope that many would say it’s their relationship with God. May this stole be a reminder of all of that! … and BTW we discovered a reusable metal mesh filter for our aero press. So once we’re through the paper filters we started with that will be the end of this series!

Advent Clergy Stole created from Unique Fabric Technique

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:08:00 +0000

Taking fabric and combining it with more fabric and then deconstructing it to make it into a new piece of "fabric" is something we love to do. The strips in the top left image are how our latest Advent stole started out. The strips were purchased as a suggested combination by the manufacturer. They sell them all rolled up and call them 'jelly rolls' .... who could resist!? Follow the link below to see the results of this stole. We are pleased with it's uniqueness and the little bit of gold in the fabric designs provides just the right amount of extra.

About our Clergy Stole Business: Top three questions

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:07:00 +0000

Here are the answers to our most frequently asked questions. If this doesn't answer all of your questions do't hesitate to contact us at jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com or 412-480-4193.

What length stole should I order?

There is no set rule as it depends upon your ministry style and whether you wear a robe or not. The best scenario would be to have someone help you use a cloth tape measure to measure from the back center of your neck to the edge of where the hem would be on one side of the stole. Or know that a 49" stole falls at the knee cap of a 5' 4" person with a thin frame and then gauge accordingly.

How long does shipping take?

Shipping is 2-3 business days within the USA via USPS Priority mail. Orders are fulfilled Monday-Saturday unless otherwise noted in the website announcement bar. Expedited 1-2 day shipping via USPS is an alternative option at checkout.

What if I don't see what I need on your website?

Don't hesitate to ask if there is a stole you like but it's not the correct length. We might be able to remake the stole in a longer length or hem a stole that is not short enough.

OR if you if an idea for a stole that is not in our current collection we would be glad to consider adding it as a limited edition to the website or creating it as a one of a kind commission. Email us here.

New Clergy Stole!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 22 Oct 2018 17:05:00 +0000

This new stole design embraces the brightness of the sunflower symbol. It's in our peace and healing collection but we think it also could be worn for joyful occasions or during Ordinary Time. When a stole is this versatile we consider it to by a good buy! Read the full description it in full here.

A Commissioned Stole for the PCUSA

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 25 Jun 2018 20:53:00 +0000

For the fourth time Carrot Top Studio has been asked to create the moderator stole for the PCUSA General Assembly. The stole traditionally depicts the host city for the General Assembly, the seal of the denomination and a visual connection to the General Assembly theme. It's always a fun creative challenge for us!

Pittsburgh, Detroit and Portland

The Office of the General Assembly presents each new moderator with a stole to mark their moderatorial office which is kept by the moderator as a witness of their ministry after the term is completed.

The prominent features in this year's design are a fleur-de-lis which calls attention to the French background of the early city of St. Louis. Additionally, the water lines are a symbol for growth. The convergence of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers allowed for growth of our nation. Lastly, the representational people surrounding the cross reminds us of the Church working together called to be a witness.

On the back tip, which joins the two branches of the stole, a dove descends as the traditional symbol of the Holy Spirit. The images harmoniously offer a message of the 223rd General Assembly, “Renewing the Vision: Kindom building for the 21st century.”

The stole is a visible symbol that the Moderator and the commissioners are the continuing community of the 223rd General Assembly until the 224th assembly convenes. We wish many blessings to the newly elected co-moderators Rev. Cindy Kohlman and Ruling Elder Vimarie Cintron-Olivieri. (photo cred. Rev. Ruth Faith Santana-Grace)

Puerto Rico Mission Trip Inspires

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 16 Apr 2018 22:33:00 +0000

Puerto Rico Mission Trip Inspires

April 16, 2018

Usually you can find me painting fabric for stoles for Carrot Top Studio or painting on paper for my #100dayproject (#100DaysOfPaintedPages on Instagram) but ten days ago I was painting really large walls in Puerto Rico. While on a mission trip with my church we spent two days at Hogar de Ninos: Regazo de Paz. This special home cares for up to 15 children that have been abused. They focus on love and repairing the whole child. Their ministry is wrapped in prayer and we were honored to brighten up their exterior and playground with new paint.

A surprise was meeting a Carrot Top Studio client who saw where we were painting in a Facebook post and stopped by to check it out! how cool is that? A year before Rev. Danilie C. Hilerio Villanueva was to be ordained she had a vision for a stole that reflected her much loved Puerto Rico. It was wonderful to have the images we created come to life as I experienced this beautiful part of God's creation.

With wonderful hospitality we lodged at Camp el Guacio in San Sabastian. It is a Presbyterian church camp and conference center that has a long, vibrant history on the island but has also physically seen better days. To help revamp their facilities we took on the clean up of three cabins. The photo above is of part of the group removing a bunk bed that would be scraped with the plywood supports saved for hurricane window coverings. You can see that we were in the mountains .... it was so lush and beautiful despite that storm rolling in.

One evening we had the privilege of hearing the camp director's story that centered on the hurricane. Her first summer was just prior to hurricane Maria in September. We learned how God helped her prepare the camp that summer in ways that she didn't understand until after the fact. After the hurricane the camp was (in general) left in much better shape than the entire region. Camp director, Wilmari Vargas quickly saw God's provision to allow her to open to help those in the greatest need. For months the camp supplied shelter, power (via a generator), washers and dryers, ice and a center for community resourcing. This is the very short version of the story, but I am still thinking daily about how this one woman's faith and openness for God to use her is still impacting those that are in recovery mode. I have been impacted and inspired by this.

At the base of the camp is the PCUSA church Iglesia Presbiterians El Guacio. They welcomed us with open arms for their prayer service on Thursday night. It's always a joy to worship as one despite language differences. Our group sung The Doxology as an offering of gratitude to God and the community we were in.

On our last day we were able to tour the Western part of the island and engage in conversations about hurricane survival and continued efforts of recovery. We saw much physical destruction, witnessed families still living in public schools, talked to people that still didn't have electricity in their homes, stumbled upon the National Guard handing out water to a line of cars, and heard stories of the people that became 'the helpers' after the hurricane. This was quite a powerful day but the icing on the cake was the infectious happy spirit of everyone we came across.

As typical of our travels we work out some of what we experience in our art. We have a Puerto Rico stole in the works. This is the base fabric. The gradations of happy blue to green is perfect to capture the land and sea and lovely personailities we got to know. Watch our Facebook, Instagram and eNews for the completed stole announcement!

Being an artist: 100 Days of Painted Pages (#100DaysofPaintedPages)

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 04 Apr 2018 18:11:00 +0000

I tend to make personal goals when the seasons change not on New Year's Eve. As the cool weather of fall blew in I felt called to start drawing and painting more often. This is what I did in high school and college and as much as I love, love, love working with fabric and sewing the pencil and paintbrush are clearly also part of who I am.

So I pulled out the sketchbook and starting drawing. I focused on a theme on each page and tried to draw as often as I could! This is a little bit of what happened...

I'm also the kind of person that needs systems to help hold me accountable. Is that why I like the rhythm and routine of the Church year calendar so much? Anyway, I signed up for an online illustration class through Sketchbook Skool (that's correctly spelled :)). It was project orientated so we worked on designing a piece for the studio. Maybe you'll see the results in your mailbox someday. Until then here's a little bit of the process I walked through.

Now that I'm in the habit of drawing again I'm joining the #100DayProject. This endeavor has an official online community but is a free, global art project that anyone can participate in. If you want to follow along my tag is #100DaysOfPaintedPages. Using #CarrotTopStudioArt will do it also! I know it usually takes 21 days to make a habit. I'm wondering how i'll do with a 100 day habit? I am going to rest on Sunday's so it will actually be a bit longer than 100 days. I thought coffee was a good start and below is my painting for day #1. I'll let you know how it all ends. Follow us on Instagram and Twitter. Until then, see you later!

Pretzels for Lent -- A Visual Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Fri, 02 Mar 2018 20:58:00 +0000

The pretzel is a very ancient bakery item, which traditionally was eaten only during Lent. It appeared each year on Ash Wednesday and disappeared on Good Friday. It goes back at least to the fifth century; thinner is a Roman manuscript in the Vatican Library dating from that period which show a Lenten pretzel. As to the shape: it is made in the form of tow arms crossed in prayer. The word bracellae, "little arms," became in German Bretzel, then Pretzel. These early Christians ate no dairy products in Lent, so the pretzel was made only of flour, salt and water: it was as simple as it could be.

You can ponder this while eating a store bought pretzel and looking over the ideas for using pretzels during Lent on our Pinterest page OR you can gather a group of friends and make your own following this recipe...

1 T. honey or sugar
1 1/2 c. lukewarm water
1 envelop active dry yeast
1 t. salt
4 c. flour
coarse or kosher salt
1 egg, beaten

Add the honey to the water; sprinkle in the yeast and still until dissolved. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Blend in the flour, and knead the dough until smooth.

Cut the dough into pieces. Roll them into ropes and twist into pretzel shapes. You can make small pretzels with thin rope, or large ones with fat ropes, but remember that to cook at the same rate, our pretzels need to be all the same size.

Place the pretzels on lightly greased cookie sheets. Brush them with beaten egg. Sprinkle with coarse salt.

Bake at 425 degrees for 12-15 minutes until the pretzels are golden brown.

Enjoy!

Mothering Stoles

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 17 Jan 2018 15:13:00 +0000

Haven't I told you our clients have the best ideas? Our Mothering Sunday stoles came to be because of a client explaining the tradition of his church in the United Kingdom. Mother's and children are honored on this day celebrated on the 4th Sunday of Lent with particular focus on a mother's love. Like Mother's Day in the United States the meaning of the tradition has changed and morphed over the years. Regardless of that my client explained the use of daffodils on this day and says it gives a brief pause in the solemnity of the Lenten season.

It's interesting to note that in other countries this tradition is called Refreshment Sunday, Pudding Pie Sunday, Mid-Lent Sunday, Simnel Sunday and Rose Sunday. In our response to our client's needs we created a purple stole for Lent with daffodils. But we loved the idea so much we translated the imagery onto a white stole that would be suitable for the season of Easter or if your congregation honors Mother's Day in May. And good news for our clients ... these stoles are currently on sale! See the purple stole here and the white version here.

And isn't it fitting that the daffodil that is a sign of rebirth and beginnings is the flower used in connection with these days in our church life? Some people even call them a Lent lily. So there's your little interesting fact for the day!

Working in a Series: The Sheep

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 06 Dec 2017 21:56:00 +0000

Sometimes one idea in the studio builds upon another. That becomes a series and our latest endeavors have been inspired by sheep and learning about Biblical shepherd imagery. Some of this resulted in items for Christmas! You may see the stole here and the parament/banner here.

This summer we found a unique piece of fabric that gradated from cream to blush and had a border of vibrant green. And it was dotted with tiny bits of metallic gold! We were excited to buy a small piece to experiment with and pondered the usage for several months. The result is this one of a kind "sheep" themed stole in our Ordinary Time collection. Inspired by John 10:11-18 this cream colored stole depicts the joy of the knowledge that we have a Good Shepherd. He knows us and laid down his life for US! This is life giving and we can rejoice. The chest is embellished with a shepherd's cross. See it in full here.

Looking for an "Elf on the Shelf" alternative to recommend to your young families? Keeping with the sheep theme of this newsletter, how about the "Shepherd's Treasure" as a faith based alternative? Too late? File it away for next year!

*we have no affiliation with this company

We hope the whimsical style of the sheep make you smile and that they help you make a visual connection to the story of our faith to those that you minister to.

Ministry Stoles: Using new techniques

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Wed, 01 Nov 2017 22:12:00 +0000

It's artistically stimulating for us to experiment with new to us techniques and equipment. We recently revised mono-printing with a commercial printing plate called a gelli pate.

First we gathered our supplies. That's the gelli plate in the top left picture. Acrylic paints, stencils, stamps, things to press into the paint and brayers rounded out the gear.

After printing the fabrics we arranged them like a collage artist would do with papers.

Adding details of overlapping fabrics and hand stitching was super fun.

And we ended up with this finished product! Read more about it on "peace and healing" stole collection on our website here.

This took us back to several years ago when we did mono printing off of a homemade gelatin block. I recently dug into that fabric stash and put together this lively table runner. It's in our Etsy shop here!

Mono-printing is instantly gratifying. We're pleased with the results and hope to do more of this in the future!

Outside the Studio: Art Prize

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Mon, 02 Oct 2017 21:03:00 +0000

After living in Michigan for three years we finally found our way to Grand Rapids for Art Prize. It was wonderful to witness this international art competition that weaves in and out of the majority of the city. It is the most attended art event in the world and what we'd deem to be a happy, thought provoking, family friendly event.

We were smitten to find a variety of participatory works of art. This is a wonderful way to draw the viewer into the experience. And we think this should/could be applied to art in faith based settings. For example the below "Let Go" by Pamela Alderman spoke of the ebb and flow that eventually brings us to healing. Viewers were invited to write about the healing process or what gives them hope on a small piece of tissue paper. They were then instructed to crumble it and throw it into the waves for it to be symbolically carried out to sea.

Art Prize venues include sidewalks, restaurants, hotels, and among other things churches. For example this sculpture, "Trees Will Clap" by Dave Vander Molen was outside St. Marks Episcopal. It is based upon Isaiah 55:12 and combined the visual with the 'clapping' sound of the leaves that symbolized harmony and unity.

We appreciated this tribute to aging and community. It is made out of corrugated cardboard. It is by Warren King and is titled Grandfather's Friend and Arrival Times.

And we even know one of the exhibiting artists! Here is our friend Lauren's work. I appreciated the mood that the artist created with the colors and brushstrokes. And remarkably she's only been painting for a short time!

I enjoyed leaving a little Carrot Top Studio logo on the public art wall. Maybe another time there will be a more official entry into Art Prize from this studio. Stay tuned!

Outside the Studio: The U.P.

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Tue, 22 Aug 2017 19:58:00 +0000

Since moving to Michigan three years ago we've been hearing about the beauty of this state's Upper Peninsula and we finally made time to visit. I anticipated being awed by the abundance and variety of trees. And that was true! What surprised me was the water. From large to small lakes, rivers, creeks, and waterfalls the water was inspiring to hear, touch, admire the clarity, and view so many different colors. For example, this photo is from Tahquamenon Falls State Park. The amber color of the water is derived from the tannins in the surrounding trees. The sound of it dropping over the 50 foot fall was powerful. And the patterns the foam made in the water recalled marbleized paper ... our Creator the artist at it again!

Many world religions celebrate the symbol of water. Christians use water in four different ways:

to recall birth,
to evoke death,
to typify renewal,
and to suggest washing.

Gail Ramshaw points out in her book Treasures Old and New, that water also functions as a symbol of one another in the church. Filled with the Spirit, we nourish one another. "We are a cup of water for one another ... Christ the water, incarnating God's water of creation, flows continuously in the Spirit, who waters the believers, who themselves become the spring of living water in the world."

Often when we are able to step outside the studio we are inspired to create. If you hadn't guessed already, we're working on a water themed stole. You can watch it's progress on Instagram or see the announcement of it's completion on Facebook. We aim to have it on the website next week!

What's With the Flying Geese?

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Tue, 25 Jul 2017 19:32:00 +0000

Sorry-this stole is currently out of stock.

Our thinking about and creating with the symbolism of flying geese started with a request from a client and this image on an Ordination stole. But what does it mean?

You've probably observed geese flying in a V formation. By doing this the goose in front creates uplift for the one behind. This allows for much greater flying range for the entire group. Community is a good thing for geese and for us!

And then there is the bit of when the lead goose gets tired he falls to the back and another takes over as leader. Similar to what we learn from Ephesians 4:16 ... "From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work."

How about all the squawking we here from a group of geese? That's reportedly encouragement! I have a friend from elementary Sunday School days. She's a great encourager. I especially appreciated how she always knew when to call me when my Dad was so sick with cancer. This spring it was her mom who was ill and I tried to be reciprocal with my own kind of squawking.

But encourage each other, day after day... (Hebrews 3:13)

(flying geese quilt block replica bottom right)

So we've carried on the flying geese imagery into our recent work. This time we adapted a traditional quilt block. We stumbled upon a historical use of this block on a recent bike ride in our hometown of Detroit. This is a sculpture honoring the underground railroad and the use of the flying geese patch as a hidden message that those looking for freedom were on the right path.

Here are snippets of our Carrot Top Studio flying geese latest creations. They include a full length stole, a short chaplain's stole and a table runner. Whether the flying geese are full of hidden messages or something that is loud and clear we hope there is something in this collection for everyone!

A Unique Commission

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Fri, 14 Jul 2017 19:31:00 +0000

One thing led to another.

First a stole was purchased through our online stole. Several years later, upon ministering at a new church, a commission was entered into led by this same pastor. This project included stoles, Communion table cloths and paraments for the pulpit/lectern. The process became a collaboration as the Church year rolled along. With each new season we emailed back and forth our ideas, sketches and fabric swatches until a plan was ready to be executed in our Michigan studio.

Just when we were mourning the end of the year long work we were thrilled to receive a request for a new piece of fiber art for the pastor's study. The parameters were to first have it fit a 46 x 56" space. Secondly the pastor thought maybe the rich illuminations of the St. John's Bible would be able to provide inspiration. We did some cartwheels at this news and dug in to make plans!

The resulting piece (above) has a creation theme based on the words in the book of Genesis. The use of batik fabrics add depth to the work. The story art is told through appliquéd images and symbols and is accented by sheer fabrics, metallic textile paint and free motion embroidery details. The finishing touch was the machine quilting done by Jane Clark of Jane Quilts. The wavy quilt lines move from open/fluid to tight/closed to add to the energy of the creation story.

As we recently traveled to a mini-vacation on the east coast we were passing by the pastor's church so had the honor of unveiling the work face to face. This is a rare treat and it was wonderful to be able to talk about the art and see it in situ.

Artist Jenny Gallo and patron Reverend Dr. Trent Hancock examining the art.

Image description, left to right:

heaven and earth/light and dark
sky and sea
land and vegetation
stars and moon
life in water and birds
creatures on dry land, and
rest

A look behind the scenes ... Stitching a favorite detail, the preying mantis.

Art in place -- Glenshaw Presbyterian Church, Glenshaw, PA

We remain thankful for this relationship and body of work.

Has this intrigued you? Seeking a commission? Email Jenny.

*photo credit Ian Gallo

Inspiration Found: Avery Island!

noreply@blogger.com (Carrot Top Studio) — Fri, 23 Jun 2017 15:45:00 +0000

This spring, while in New Orleans, we took a side trip to Avery Island. The tour of how Tabasco Sauce is made was really interesting and we enjoyed the tasting afterward. Who knew that Tabasco flavored soft serve ice cream would taste so good?! Then we hopped in the car and roamed around the 170-acre garden with semitropical foliage while watching out for the sunbathing alligators that lined the Bayou Petite Anse. We were especially delighted encounter a rookery that was home to 1000's of snowy egrets. I could have watched them all day! As we walked back to the car seeing a feather on the ground reminded me of Psalm 91:3-5 --

Surely he will save you

from the fowler’s snare

and from the deadly pestilence.

He will cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings you will find refuge;

his faithfulness will be your shield and rampart.

You will not fear the terror of night,

nor the arrow that flies by day,

Back in the studio we have created a series of work embellished with feathers as a reminder that God is shelter and a refuge when we are afraid. The psalmist likens God to a mother bird who protects her young. Isn't it wonderful that we can entrust ourselves to his protection?

See the green stole here, the white stole here, and the table runner here.

Carrot Top Studio

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Outside the Studio: Art Prize

Outside the Studio: The U.P.

What's With the Flying Geese?

A Unique Commission

Inspiration Found: Avery Island!