Biblical Fiber Art

My teenage daughter and I have been looking at the book of Esther. We've read the story in the Bible, we've discussed where we could see God's hand in this book, and we've watched the Fox Faith film "One Night With the King." We watched a wee bit of the movie prior to digging into the Bible and I was at first turned off by the Hollywoodness of the first banquet scene. In particular my attention was caught by the banners and fabrics that were so enourmous and dramatic. I actually hadn't recalled these fabrics in the book of Esther but, because a large part of what Carrot Top Studio does is make worshp banners, my interest was picqued. So I found that the Bible says, "The garden had hangings of white and blue linen, fastened with cords of white linen and purple material to silver rings on marble pillars." (Esther 1:6) Of course the fabrics in Esther represent the kings great wealth. This is different from the curtains and used when building the temple as described in the book of Exodus.The curtains in the temple were to designate a worship space and help show the reverance for and the scacredness of the place to worship God. How do you use fabric in your worship space? Are you using fabric to focus on our worship of the Almighty and designate the worship space as sacred? The contrast between the details in Exodus and Esther give us something to think about.

Back to the movie...my daughter and I did finish the movie and even though it's an interpretation of the Biblical story I was pleased with how the storyline remained relatively true. The background music is a bit dramatic and the visuals as stated before seem to have the heavy touch of the movie set director. Seeing the film version did emphasize how similar the times of Esther are to the conflicts we still deal with today and will inspire the viewer to stand up for what is right and just. As for my daughter: I send her off to high school this fall and I hope and pray that she will be like Esther...may she be a woman of character, may she see that God has a purpose for her, and may she be willing to act with courage when she needs to!

A selection of Carrot Top Studio's small banners are being auctioned on eBay this week. See them here!

Where Do Artists Work?

Illustrations by Michael Harrar copyright protected.

When I was teaching elementary art I had a poster that listed 100's of jobs where artists could work professionally. It included everything from book illustrators to muralists to cereal box designers. The variety of jobs that require an artist is astounding! The poster was meant to be encouraging to the impressionable minds that passed through my classroom.

This last week I've had two opportunities that have once again led me to think about how artists are used in a faith community. First, I had an opportunity to share an afternoon rendezvous over ice cream while my friend Michael and his wife who were traveling through the area. They have spent their professional years working for Wycliffe Bible Translators. Living all over the world Michael has, among other things, had the opportunity to use his artistic gifts illustrating Bibles, teaching natives to be artists, creating murals to spread the word of the need for Bible translation and even a chance to create a series of postage stamps. Secondly, I spent time with an artist who will display her fiber art in my home church gallery. She was asking about the history of the space and the type of art that had been displayed over the years. I don't know who had the wonderful idea of creating this space but it's been there for at least 17 years. It's brilliantly surrounding the area that our receptionist desk is placed, therefore the art is not to be missed by anyone who walks through this entrance. I've curated this space for the past two years and we've seen photographers, illustrators, oil painters, pastel artists and much more have a chance to exhibit. Some of the artists create liturgical work and others are Christians that recognize their gifts as from God. We celebrate all of these artists and try to use the space to educate our faith community. Additionally, when it is appropriate we make a connection to something that we are studying or celebrating in the church year calendar.

If I made a poster listing where artists of faith would work I don't think the list would be terribly different from the list I had in my classroom many years ago. The difference is how does the church respond to this, how do we encourage the artists, and how do we include them in our purpose. How are you doing in this area?

Celebrate Peace During Ordinary Time

Webster's defines peace as: freedom from war, tranquility, calm, a state of no anxiety, and having freedom from conflict. But it is only in Christ that we have true peace. Having peace with God through Christ and living a life faithful to Christ will allow us to be at peace with ourselves and others. I think peace is a great topic during this time of Ordinary Time and I wonder what a peaceful kingdom would look like in our homes, our city, our schools and our country? We can think of a few ideas to promote this topic:

• supply children with alternatives to war toys
• listen to people....everyone deserves to be heard
• light a peace candle during times of small group worship or before sharing a meal with friends (new and old)
• pray, "May peace prevail on earth"
• eat "Imagine Whirled Peace" ice cream by Ben and Jerry
• wear a Peace stole by Carrot Top Studio

How do you celebrate and encourage peace during this time of year?

I Am....

My first born is 17 (and a half!). He is manly and wise in many ways yet is floundering with the many choices and opportunities he has upon him as he approaches his senior year in high school. We're thankful for the time we have this summer to explore his spiritual gifts, what motivates him, and prayerfully seek insight as to how to magnify these things through education and a career after high school graduation. It struck me today how appropriate this type of acitivty is for many of us during the church's Oridnary Time. During this time between special liturgical seasons we are called to look for God in all the moments of our lives. A fun exercise for anyone to do is to quickly write ten "I am...." statements about yourself (whatever comes quickly to your mind) then share them with someone. Do the statements reflect your gifts and motivators? Can you see God in them? How can you grow in these areas? How can you make these parts of your life more linked to your life with God?

Speaking of I am statementes, I've been trying to Twitter for Carrot Top Studio to connect with more pastors and ministry leaders. It's struck me that Twitter could be called a social network of "I am...." statements. I am doing this...., I am not enjoying this...., I am connected to this...., etc. I have yet to decide of Twitter is a good thing or not, but if you want to follow us you can do it here.

Lastly, I'm thankful we don't have to decide whether the "I am..." statements of Jesus Christ are good, bad, or worth following. I draw comfort in knowing that Jesus is the bread of life, the light of the world, the true vine and so much more!

The "I am" stole pictured here can be found at Carrot Top Studio on this page. I think I need stop bloggins so I can go find my son and get him to make his list of "I am's"....I'm sure he'll be delighted that Mom has conjured up one more actitivty to help him with his discernment!

Stoles in Action-part 2

When you see tie dye what do you feel? Maybe times of joy, a sense of freedom, or lighthearted days come to mind? This stole in action was a perfect gift for a pastor who loves his tie dye! It was a really fun commission for us to work on.

Carrot Top Studio is now offering a tie dye stole in our online store. Find one here and one here!

What else says joy? We'd love to learn your ideas....and turn them into a stole!

Stoles in Action

Because of the nature of our e-commerce art studio we rarely get to see our stoles "in action" after they leave us. Occassionaly we are sent photos...thought you'd enjoy a few that demonstrate the diversity of the ministry leaders we serve.

This Noah's ark stole worn at a pet blessing by a pastor who has a passion for animal rescue.
The tree of life stole was the choice of this pastor for his latest installation service.

And, this ordinary time stole with fleks of golds, oranges, and reds was a great choice for for this autumn wedding ceremony.

What's Going on at Carrot Top Studio?

Summer does an odd thing to me and my time in the studio. I get this urge to clean out, reorganize and set new goals for our busy fall selling season. What does that mean for our clients? A few things that might interest you:

• our eBay offers this summer are mostly ministry stoles that we just have one left of in stock and we're offering them at rock bottom opening bids! We're on eBay as seller "carrottopstudio". What else would we be?
• we're rotating selections onto our "SALE" section on the website. Check it out here!
• the stole categories on the website are becoming more defined. Have you noticed the new "peace and healing" category and "music ministry" category?
• preparations are under way to add visitation, travel and confessional stoles to the website. We'll let you know when this goes live!

What are we missing? Is there anything you've been looking for to support your ministry visually that you can't find? We'd love to hear your ideas! Add a comment to the blog or email us at jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com.

Back in the Studio

After a week in these Colorado mountains we're back in the studio. We're relaxed and feel creatively inspired by the peace of the environment we've left behind. Thanks to our clients that were patient with shipping while we shut down for a week! Back to the drawing board...

Joy

What do you think of when you hear the word "joy?" Some people think of a favorite food or having a day off of work. Others think of the book The Joy of Cooking. The dictionary declares that it is: The passion or emotion excited by the acquisition or expectation of good; pleasurable feelings or emotions caused by success, good fortune, and the like, or by a rational prospect of possessing what we love or desire; gladness; exhilaration of spirits; delight. BMW (the car company) commissioned an artist to relate joy to their products...see the video titled "Expression of Joy" here. Joy is also of course a fruit of the spirit. God wants us to have joy and happiness in our lives. Sometimes we find joy in the most turbulent times, and sometimes joy just finds us. Other times we just need to open our hearts to being joyful. At Carrot Top Studio we often feel joy while listening to music. We enJOY a wide genre...everything from Bach to David Crowder to Miles Davis. In honor of joy and music we are introducing a new music ministry stole with Psalm 150:3 in mind..."Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet..." You can find this limited edition stole in our online store!

Prayer Flags

A prayer flag is a colorful panel or rectangular cloth often found strung along mountain ridges and peaks high in the Himalayas to bless the surrounding countryside or for other purposes. Traditionally they are woodblock-printed with texts and images and are connected to Buddhism. Prayer flags intrigue me because I see the similarity with worship banners and ministry stoles--all involve a religous message, color, symbols, and recognizing the invovlement of the visual and tactile in worship.

In my neck of the woods many churches are gearing up for a week of vacation Bible school. When my children were younger I often found myself in the art room at our vacation Bible school. If I were planning the art projects this year I think I might be apt to translate the Buddhist concept of prayer flags into mini worship banners. My home church is in the center of our community on a road heavily traveled each day. Wouldn't it be exciting to see these mini banners stretched along the roadside? I visualize the sculptural like display being added to each day....almost performance art! They would serve as a personal connection to each child as they soak in the love of God during the week and would maybe intrigue the passers by of our building to wonder what was happening inside--and maybe a seeker would even come inside to find out!

Icon of the Trinity

Russian icon of the Old Testament Trinity by Andrey Rublev, between 1408-25

We're pondering upcoming Trinity Sunday. Wondering how artists have represented the mystery of the Trinity we did a little research and found Rublev's icon of the Old Testament Trinity. This icon is based on a passage in the book of Genesis concerning the visitation of three angels to Abraham. The three angels can be interpreted as a sign of the Trinity. We love this notion that the sovereignty of God arrives in hospitatlity.

Carrot Top Studio's 4th Anniversary!

It's been such a fun four years at Carrot Top Studio we felt the need to celebrate! We are so grateful for our many clients that traverse the globe and celebrate what they believe in many different faith communities. You are great encouragers, are full of wonderful ideas, and are fun to collaborate with on designing ministry stoles and worship banners.

This year's celebration stole is being offered at $40.00 + 4.44 S&H. There are only FOUR available so don't delay your order! Buy it here.

The celebration continues with FOUR additional stoles hidden throughout the website with their price reduced to $40.00 + 4.44 S&H. These are only availabe at this price until June FOURTH. Search for them throughout our stole selection here.

And if you follow our blog or our Twitter posts you know that our staff has a sweet tooth.  So we'd like to share our favorite Carrot Cake recipe (what else would we make for this celebration?) from the King Arthur Whole Grain Baking Book. Enjoy the recipe!

• 4 large eggs
  
• 1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
• 2 t. vanilla
• 1 1/2 c. granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup packed, light brown sugar
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 2 t. baking soda
• 1 1/2 t. baking powder
• 1 1/2 t. salt
• 1 T. cinnamon
• 1/2 t. nutmeg
• 2 1/2 c. finely grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
• 1 cup shredded or flaked coconut, sweetened or not
• 1-8 oz. can crushed pineapple, drained

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour 2 9" round cake pans.

Beat eggs with mixer and add the oil while the mixer is running. Add the vanilla, then sprinkle in the sugars. You will have a thick, foamy, lemon-colored mixture. Whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices in a medium bowl. Add these dry ingredients to the eggs and oil in your mixing bowl, mixing to make a smooth batter. Add the carrot and nuts, then the coconut and pineapple. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.

Bake the cakes for 35-40 minutes. The cake is done when a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack, then dust with confectioner's sugar or frost with cream cheese frosting (recipe follows).

Cream Cheese Frosting

• 6 T. unslated butter, at room temperature
• 1-8oz. pkg. cream cheese, at room temperature
• 1 t. vanilla
• 4 cups confectioner's sugar
• 2-4 T. milk

Combine butter, cream cheese, and vanilla in mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the sugar gradually, beating well alternately with the milk until frosting is of a spreadable consistency.

Red for Pentecost

Pentecost Sunday approaches so I'm thinking about the color red. Technically, red is used only for the Sunday of Pentecost, although some churches use red for the Sundays between Easter and Pentecost Sunday. The red symbolizes both the fire of Pentecost as well as the apostles and early followers of Jesus who were gathered in the Upper Room for the empowerment from God to proclaim the Gospel throughout the world.Here are a few other interesting bits of 'red' trivia:

• As a former painter I know that the pigment in paint is a special one. Originally the pigment was squeezed out of insects and because of this tedious process there was an industry that traded and bartered for this precious item.

• Wearing red coats was the exclusive right of the nobility in medieval times and the red robes of kings, cardinals, judges and executioners announced their power over life and death.

• The hair of the Virgin Mary and the robes of Angels were depicted red in medieval paintings.

• Red is included in some colorful phrases: Paint the town red, to see red, in the red, red-letter day, red-neck, red tape, red-hot, not worth a red cent, caught red-handed, red-carpet treatment, better dead than red.

• Pentecost stoles are our second best selling item at Carrot Top Studio. Because they are typically only worn once a year we've found this very itneresting. Maybe it's because psycholigcally red is teh most emotionally intense color?
  

Happy Pentecost!

Commissioned Ministry Stoles

Last week we blogged about stoles that had been commissioned as sets. We of course also accept commissions for single stoles. Here are some of our past projects. We hope they'll inspire you!

An Ordinary Time stole designed by the pastor's husband who is an artist...we translated his drawing onto fabric.

A baptism stole that was used in a worship service for a child adopted from Guatemala.

A stole for a wedding officiant that includes a poem she wrote.

Another wedding officiant stole. The butterfly images echo her business logo. 

A communion stole for a children's ministry pastor to wear when she teaches about the sacraments.

We'd be glad to help you with a commission--simple or complex. Please contact us for more details at jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com.

Another Commissioned Stole Set

Here's another example of a commissioned set of ministry stoles. These were created over a year's time and were presented to a newly graduated seminarian. The stole designs were all connected with the use of the circle as  symbol of God's eternal love.

Advent stole: the light of the world.

Christmas stole: the birth of a king.

Lent stole: a different type of crown for our King.

Easter stole: Christ reigns the ruler of the world.

Pentecost stole: the Holy Spirit dwells among us.

Would you like more information on how to commission a stole? Contact us at jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com. We'd love to hear your ideas!

Commissioned Ministry Stoles

When Carrot Top Studio began four years ago we didn't visualize commissioned stoles as part of our repertoire. But when clients started ask for unique, one of a kind stoles we were thrilled with this type of creative challenge. Occasionally we have the added treat of doing a series. The following collection was commissioned by a seminary student preparing for minstry. The collection is bound together visually by the use of silk that is hand dyed by woman entrepreneurs in a ministry connected with our home church in Pittsburgh, PA. Every time we use this colorful, silk we make a donation to La Femme de la Croix to help grow their project which in turn goes to further their education so they can rise above poverty. We hope you'll be inspired by the follow:

An Advent/Lent stole symbolizing the story of the old and new testament and life cycle of Jesus.
This stole celebrates God bringing order out of chaos, the seven gifts of the Spirit, the anointing power of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit descended as a dove.  
A joyful stole for Christmas and Easter that includes hummingbirds as a symbol of the Resurrection and a recollection of its imagery in the Native American culture.
And last but not least a stole for Ordinary Time that celebrates creation.

Curious about commissioning your own stole or set of stoles...or maybe this would be the perfect gift for the newly graduated entering into ministry? Contact us (jenny.gallo@CarrotTopStudio.com) with your ideas and to inqure about details of the process.

Pentecost Banners

Looking to make a Pentecost statement in your office, chapel, or mediation area at home? Carrot Top Studio currently has two small Pentecost banners in stock. More details here.

Baptism

If you follow the lectionary you know that this week one of the themes that emerges is "baptism." It is found in Acts 10: 44-48. As an artist I tend to think visually. So I've searched out a baptism piece of art from history. This is "I Baptize Thee" by William Johnson. It was painted in 1940 and rests in the collection of the Smithsonian Museum of Art. The preacher and congregants stand in a creek or a pond to symbolize crossing the River Jordan into a new life.   I think the energy in the forefront of this painting matches the excitment felt by Peter and Cornelius when it was discoverd that God's plan included both of them--two people from very different backgrounds. That is Good News!

In need of a stole for baptisms? Find the collection at Carrot Top Studio here.

When Did You Draw Last?

The former art educator in me loved listening to a recent NPR interview with author and illustrator Mo Willems about getting adults to draw.Why do we stop drawing? It's such a natural expression as a child. It's a prewriting activity...and we certainly don't stop writing! Mr. Willems has interesting suggestions on how to keep adults drawing. He speaks about having "family draw night". This involves  the family around a table with paper in front, someone dictating a theme and then the drawing begins. Thinking about this I get a lovely vision of time spent together. I bet a lot of good things come from this activity beyond the creative activity of drawing...family bonding, great conversation, learning more about each other, and a time of relaxation and sabbath. How does this apply to our faith communities? I see drawing time incorporated into Sunday School classes of all ages, Bible studies, confirmation lessons, leadership meetings, staff meetings and MORE! An added bonus for those of us that crave a simple life....the supplies for drawing are so easily attainable! Go dig through your drawers and set out the pencils, pens, crayons and paper (you can even go green and doodle on your unwanted junk mail!) O.K. I feel I can put my soap box away for the moment. Happy drawing!

Liturgical Orange?

If you follow this blog, you know that Carrot Top Studio is fairly traditional.We love following the liturgical calendar as we offer ministry stoles to help make visual connections through color and symbol to those that you minister to.  For example we've just finished prepping our Pentecost inventory.  Our website has a few new offerings and the fun bargains are always on eBay. We think we're fairly creative but I don't think we've ever figured "orange" into the liturgical line up. But never fear! Someone else has come up with a way. If you need a good laugh you should check out the swine flu vestments here. I actually laughed out loud...hope this has provided a little joy moment in your day also!