 Our events this month include the River District Farmers Market, Estero Farmers Market, SWFL Peace Day Festival, and Oktoberfest! Learn more on our local event page.
This month we are focussing on creating some new Halloween goodies, as well as some new releases for the upcoming fall season, including stickers, art prints, holiday cards, magnets, and more. The best way to learn about new releases is our newsletter! Follow our journey on Patreon! This month we will be releasing a seashell-themed desktop wallpaper, a manatee coloring page, and talking about some of our current art projects. Photo above: our booth from the First Friday Art Walk in Downtown Fort Myers
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 Near the beginning of this summer, I was approached by a friend about collaborating on an incense blend. A retreat in Utah was to host an event focusing on various aspects of wellness. I wanted to give the incense a traditional yoga theme, inspired by the sandalwood heavy blends of India, but also incorporating elements of the flora of the American West, especially its forested and mountainous regions. Copal and their relatives are often the building blocks of my incense blends at the moment. Especially the members of Bursera, one of the most important sources of incense in the Americas. Copal blanco from Mexico was blended with numerous coniferous tree resins including two species of pine from Utah, spruce, and possibly a Pinus originating Copal from Tulum. Small amounts of other ingredients where finally added to sweeten the background of the base. While I do have other ingredients which would have been local to the setting, I decided against them as they have such heavy, smokey and wintery characteristics.  Halmaddi is an essential ingredient when working with Indian inspired blends, which was further mixed with other exotic exudates. Various herbs and roots bring their green, earthy, herbal qualities without leaving the "burnt leaf" aroma, as their whole forms would. Finished with top-shelf quality propolis...  Next, various dried woods and fragrant herbs needed to be blended as close to a powder as achievable. Sandalwood, birch, lavender, homegrown sweetgrass and others made up this base. Then the final floral and classic incense notes were mixed into the powder, absorbing the essential oils into the mix. Finally, it was time to combine all of the ingredients. Using so many conifer resins, the mix was difficult to work with. Thus needing to be frozen and then blended numerous times to finally create the proper consistency.  After weeks of experimenting, planning, testing, blending, and creating the illustration for the label, the incense is now complete. A small space was left for the names of those attending the class focusing on natural aromatics.  The blend itself was a pleasure to work with. Maybe what I liked most about creating this blend specifically is that it allowed me to work with different scenery, one which was far removed from my current seaside themes. There is a high probability that I will take what I have learned here and transform this into a "coastal meditation" blend for our shop.
Now, off to my next incense project for the 15th Annual SWFL Peace Day Festival! Matt August 26, 2022  Banded Tulip at Blind Pass, Sanibel Island 2022 Banded Tulip shells (Cinctura hunteria) are commonly found along the barrier islands of Southwest Florida. They can also be found in other areas along the Gulf of Mexico, the Florida Keys and throughout the Caribbean Sea. The organisms responsible for the creation of these shells are a type of mollusk, more commonly known as aquatic snails. These mollusks are epifaunal carnivores, meaning they live most of their lives attached to hard surfaces beneath the ocean waves. They hunt for smaller prey on coral reefs and other rocky surfaces. These beautiful shells can grow as large as 4 inches or more.  Banded Tulip original art by Melissa (water color, pencil, collage) 2022 The Cinctura genus contains 5 known species of Tulip. This genus is a member of the Fasciolariidae family, which also contains what is known as the true tulip shell (Fasciolaria tulipa). The Fasciolariidae family, also known as the tulip and spindle snails family, is thought to have first appeared during the Cretaceous period. Today’s species inhabit warm tropical and temperate waters. We have found Banded Tulip shells twice on Sanibel Island, once at Gulfside City Beach and the other recently at Blind Pass. Banded Tulips prefer intertidal sand flats, especially in quiet lagoon water. Their diets consist mainly of other mollusks, which they hunt amongst beds of sea grass.  Banded Tulip found at Gulf Side Beach, Sanibel Island 2022
 Check out our August events throughout Fort Myers! We are also excited to be starting a new interview series this month, featuring local SWFL artists and makers.
Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a seashell coloring page, in-progress artwork and incense, and a Halloween art preview.  Check out our July events, both in-store and throughout Fort Myers! This Friday we will be hosting local photographer Bob Mayes in the shop, and we will also be at the Estero Farmers Market at Miromar Outlets.
Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a crab coloring page, in-progress artwork and incense, and a Halloween and Christmas Card art preview.  The Summer Solstice is the day with the longest period of sunlight. In the northern hemisphere the Summer Solstice usually falls on June 20, 21, or 22. In 2022, it is on June 21. Continue reading for some fun ways to celebrate this time of year! Check out our Pinterest board for other related recipes and tutorials. Crafts & activities:
Decorations and accents:
Food to make and enjoy:
Scents:
 Summer Solstice incense recipe:
Ingredients:
Directions: Grind all dry ingredients with zested lemon peel in a mortar and pestle. Add a small amount of honey and mix. Dammar and other citrus or spices may be used as replacements if desired. Smolder on top of a hot hookah charcoal. Feel free to experiment and use different ingredients as necessary. Any white or golden copal or dammar will do. Benzoin is for the sweet notes, which you can also get from vanilla. Cinnamon or clove can be used in place of allspice. And your favorite citrus peel can be used in place of lemon. The sandalwood is not necessary, but having some powdered wood helps with the consistency of the mix.  THE ISLAND OCTOPUS TO HOST MEET A MERMAID EVENT
Where: The Island Octopus at Bell Tower Shops, 13499 S. Cleveland Ave, Fort Myers, FL 33907. The Island Octopus is located in suite 107, next to Ice Spot and near Dave and Busters. When: Saturday June 18, 1-3PM EST Details: Meet Mermaid Maggie at this free event for families. Mermaid Maggie will be teaching us about the animals that make sea shells, singing, and providing eco-friendly glitter tattoos. She will also be talking about some of the jewelry she makes from Sanibel seashells. In addition, a mermaid-themed coloring page table will be set up for children. Families are invited to stop by and meet Mermaid Maggie, take a photo, and learn more about our ocean. This is a free event. About The Island Octopus: The Island Octopus was created by husband-wife team Matt and Melissa Gindling. Our store in Bell Tower (Fort Myers, Florida) features Matt & Melissa's aquatic and beachy artwork, shirts, tote bags, prints, cards & postcards, coloring books, and other beach gifts. You can also find a selection of artwork by a few other local SW Florida artists. While you are visiting, strike a pose and take a selfie by our Fort Myers art wall, and pick out one of our free coloring pages. Learn more at IslandOctopus.com. About Mermaid Maggie: Mermaid Maggie brings smiles and magic to people of all ages while advocating for ocean conservation and an eco-friendly future. She hosts birthday parties and other events, inspiring people of all ages through interactive songs, storytelling, and games. Learn more at EnchantedPartyTime.com.  We have lots of new arrivals in the shop this month, including the Dog Bakery series, Fort Myers manatee mug, several new illustrations, Neptunian Frankincense and Sea-Kissed Myrrh! Check out all the new arrivals here.
We have a lot of events planned for June, both in-store and throughout Fort Myers and Sanibel! Check out all of the events here. Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a sunflower coloring page, in-progress artwork, and a sea turtle digital download.  Join The Island Octopus for our Can't Wait for Summer Party! This event will take place in our store at 13499 S Cleveland Ave, Suite 107, Fort Myers, FL, as well as online in our Facebook group! Guests can sign up for our email newsletter for a reminder and a virtual goody bag!
In-store activities will include: goody bag for first 24 guests, refreshments, a summer selfie contest, coupon, and shopping! Virtual activities will include games, contests, and activities, coupons, as well as some freebies! The virtual components of this event can be viewed on our email newsletter, on our website, and in our Facebook group! Learn more about this event here!  We have lots of new arrivals in the shop this month, including Island Nag Champa Incense and Fragrance, cards, and magnets! Check out all the new arrivals here.
We have a lot of events planned for May, both in-store and throughout Fort Myers! We are also planning a "Can't Wait for Summer Party" for the end of May, which will have a virtual component. Check out all of the events here. Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a seashell coloring page, in-progress artwork, and early access to some new products! Photo above: A shorebird on Sanibel Island. |
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© 2022 THE ISLAND OCTOPUS™, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TERMS & PRIVACY.
DESIGNED IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA
© 2022 THE ISLAND OCTOPUS™, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TERMS & PRIVACY.
DESIGNED IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA