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 owner of Carrot Top Studio. Since 2004 Carrot Top Studio has sold unique, handmade ministry stoles and related products to a global clientele. The first chapter of her professional life permitted her to teach art in Chicago, Houston and Pittsburgh. Her B.S. in Art Education was earned from The Pennsylvania State University. Jenny Gallo resides in the Detroit, MI area.

http://www.CarrotTopStudio.com
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Flames, Flight, and Faith: Marking Milestones in Ministry and Creativity