The Carrot Top Studio Library

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.

100 Day Project

A new calendar year usually causes me to evaluate or try something new. This year I'm trying the 100 day project that is popular with creative types. It's defined as:

It's a celebration of process that encourages everyone to participate in 100 days of making. The great surrender is theprocess; showing up day after day is the goal. For the 100-Day Project, it's not about fetishizing finished products—it's about the process.

To stretch my technical skills and establish a new rhythm in my creative life I will be using Tula Pink's City book 100 Modern Quilt Blocks.  Hopefully I will become a more accrue piecer as I follow along with the author's directions to make 100 6 1/2" square quilt blocks. My two self imposed rules are to first use only fabric scraps from my stash and to use only warm colors. The color rule is only so that if I want to turn the blocks into a quilt there will be some cohesiveness based on the color theory.

Maybe you'll recognize some stole fabrics in these! Here are my first three blocks: 

The book is organized into shape collections such as squares, and triangles. The first section is crosses. Maybe some of these patterns will find their way into my Carrot Top Studio work too! Watch our Instagram and Facebook pages for updates as the days roll by!.

Our Favorite Blogs

We can learn and be inspired by reading. Therefore, today I thought I'd share some of our favorite blogs that we follow that pertain to Carrot Top Studio. Maybe they will inspire you for a bulletin cover, arts group within your church or feed your own artistic soul.

Artists-

• Susie Lubell is an illustrator. We like her whimsical style and dedication to her faith.
• West of Here takes and shares the most stunning photographs and has the ability to hone in on what is most interesting. 
• Julie Lonneman has an amazing way of sharing what she believes in her graphic art.
• "Love God, Serve Others, Make it Beautiful!" is the motto of Valorie Sjodin who moves me with her detailed drawings (and her motto!)

Christian Art Associations chalk full of resources-

• Mount Tabor 
• Episcopal Cafe
• Christians in the Visual Arts

Stitching inspiration-

• artists Karin Birch and  Claire Wellesley-Smith both stimulate my desire to add hand stitching to our stoles. Stay tuned to see if we progress in this direction!

Fabric inspiration-

• A Stitch in Dye because she's got great style. 
• Anna Maria Horner juggles a business, a family and also writes about her family's faith heritage. She also demonstrates how to mix patterned fabrics together. I appreciate all of that.
• Artfabrik for fabric dying advice and igniting a desire to do so. 
• Erin Wilson Quilts proves that you can make images simplified with fabric...something we have to think about when sewing on 5" widths.

And these help remind me of what is real-

• Out of the Dust & Us reminds me of the world that is outside of my studio in Michigan. The added bonus is seeing the batik fabric of the clothes in their community. 
• Cast Your Net uses art to help illustrate his sermons and his messages from the pulpit usually have a way of getting me to think twice.
• For my home and kitchen I read the Radical Homemaker. I appreciate the way she is raising her family.

And then after a day in the studio I often unwind with a recipe inspired by Food 52. The creating goes on and on and on!

**p.s. The Feedly app makes following these blogs very easy. Maybe you'd like to add Carrot Top Studio to your feed? Wink. Wink.