Symbols That Shape Us: Celebrating 21 Years with a New Anniversary Stole

It was green—for Ordinary Time, a liturgical season that often gets overlooked but quietly calls us to tend, grow, and listen. That first stole we ever created carried three meaningful symbols, each chosen with intention and care:

🐝 Bees – Tiny, tireless creatures that bring life wherever they go. In Christian tradition, bees symbolize community, discipline, and resurrection. On that stole, they were a reminder that even the smallest acts—like designing one stole—can ripple outward in unexpected, grace-filled ways.

🍯 Honeycomb – Built through cooperation, patience, and instinctive creativity, the honeycomb was our symbol for the church—a space formed by love and sustained by God’s sweet provision. It whispered a quiet truth: we’re better when we build together.

Anchor cross – This ancient emblem of hope pointed us to the steady presence of God’s love, especially in life’s stormier seasons. It was a visual promise that faith holds fast, even when everything else feels adrift.

That stole sold quickly on eBay—back when it was the go-to place to find something handmade and meaningful. And with that single, sacred transaction, a ministry of visual storytelling was born.

Now, to mark 21 years of Carrot Top Studio,

we’ve reimagined that very first design. The new Anniversary Stole is still green, still humming with bees, hope, and holy beauty. But this version carries the richness of experience, the texture of years lived faithfully, and the steady belief that creativity is a spiritual gift.

Whether you’ve been with us from the very beginning or are just discovering us now, thank you. You are part of this story. Here's to the symbols that shape us, the hope that roots us, and the joy of making art that serves the sacred.

This is a photograph of Jenny Gallo the artist at Carrot Top Studio. She also writes about art and faith on the Carrot Top Studio Substack.

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Jenny Gallo

Jenny Gallo is the artist and founder of Carrot Top Studio, where she has been creating story-rich clergy stoles and meaningful art since 2004. What began as a love for making and serving faith communities has grown into a studio practice rooted in season, symbol, and care. Trained as an art educator, Jenny taught art in Chicago, Houston, and Pittsburgh before devoting herself fully to studio work. She holds a B.S. in Art Education from The Pennsylvania State University and now lives and works in the Madison, Wisconsin area.

http://www.CarrotTopStudio.com
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🐞 The Little Beetle with Big Meaning: Exploring the Spiritual Symbolism of the Ladybug

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Flames, Flight, and Faith: Marking Milestones in Ministry and Creativity