 Our event this month include the Sanibel Shell Festival, a Zine Fest, and the Sanibel Community House Arts & Crafts Fair - view the list on our Local Events page.
During March, we will be wrapping up a new coloring book project and creating some springtime art. On Patreon this month, we will be discussing one of our book projects, our current art projects, and releasing a new sticker designs. Photo above: a recent photo of a shell flower display at the Sanibel Shell Festival this past weekend.
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 Our event this month include Art Walk, the Sanibel Community House Arts & Crafts Fair, and a drawing event at Sanibel Library - view the list on our Local Events page.
During February, we will be continuing several art projects featuring shells and cephalopods, and wrapping up a new coloring book project. On Patreon this month, we will be discussing one of our book projects, our current art projects, and releasing 2 new sticker designs. Photo above: a recent photo from Sanibel Island  The somewhat bizarre worm shells feature a swirly spiral shaped hollow tube. These shells are made from two related species: the Fargo Worm Snail and the Florida Worm Snail. These snails start making a tightly coiled shell until it's about half an inch to an inch long. Then, the length of the shell becomes uncoiled, changing into this loose swirly spiral shape. This shape allows the Worm Snail to anchor itself to sponges, rocks and corals. It's fairly common to find broken pieces of this shell on Sanibel beaches (like the photo above), and occasionally you can find one with the tightly coiled pointy shell top!
Scientific name of the Florida Worm Snail: Vermicularia knorrii Scientific name of the Fargo Worm Snail: Vermicularia fargoi Coloring: white, tan or light brown Worm Snails are sea snails that live in coastal reefs. They are suspension feeders that trap plankton for food.  Fine art, handcrafted accessories, books, holiday cards, jewelry, gift ideas, tropical decor, delicious baked goods, and more available at Sanibel Community House Arts & Crafts Fair on November 26, 2023. Sanibel Island, Florida - The Sanibel Community House will host an Arts & Crafts Fair on November 26, 2023. Shoppers will find fine art, handcrafted accessories, books, holiday cards, jewelry, gift ideas, tropical decor, and delicious baked goods from over 40 artists and makers. This free event takes place from 9 AM - 2 PM, indoors at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island, Florida. The Community House will be hosting artists and makers monthly, from October through April.  Handmade jewelry and purses by Jayne Crowell  Paintings by Mara Balodis  Jewelry by Jill Krummen  Baked Goods by Steve Canton Virginia Alden - resin art
Leslie Angel - jewelry, art, yarn baskets Mara Balodis - original art Faye Barczak - sewn coasters, bags, bandanas Nicole Bender - dog treats Paulette Boudreau - original paintings Marcy Calkins - original art Steve Canton - baked goods Renee Chastant - watercolor art Gina Cotter - shadow boxes, earrings Jayne Crowell - jewelry, purses Michael & Kira Dworkin - resin art and jewelry Rhonda Emmer - sewn place mats Guna Foraker - children’s bows and felt ornaments Mike Gibson - fine jewelry Melissa & Matt Gindling - watercolor art and illustration Tracee Hicks - enamel and silver jewelry Linn Hill - crafts Lynn Hines - silver jewelry Jane Hudson - stuffed fish, cats, birds, small paintings Salli Kirkland - baskets and baked goods Jill Krummen - sea glass jewelry Doug MacGregor - children’s books Christine Marshall - night lights and earrings Sally McGowan - embroidered pillows Gabriella McNeilus - resin crafts Harrison McNeilus - handmade survival bracelets Avalon Vinciguerra - friendship bracelets and beaded jewelry Karen Navarre - sewn bags and wallets Nancy Rector - beaded jewelry Beth Redpath - jewelry and crafts Deborah Salvatore - paintings Karen & Steve Seay - decopage shells and palm frond art Sarah Shaffer - seashell jewelry and beaded bracelets Perky Smoot - sea glass jewelry Patty & Jim Sprankle - porcelain art and bird sculptures Arlene Stigum - oil paintings Elaine Sullo - cards and paper cranes Valerie Taloni - jewelry Sheila Wissner - paintings and jewelry Sanibel Community House Shell Crafters Since 1927, The Community House has served as the gathering place of the islands. Many social organizations, civic groups, and clubs that first found a home here at The Community House are still here to this day. The Sanibel Community Association (SCA) is an independent nonprofit organization that operates “The Community House,” which not only serves as an event location but also offers rental space. SanibelCommunityHouse.net 239.472.2155 The Island Octopus was created by husband-wife team Matt and Melissa Gindling. Their online gift shop offers whimsical critters, beachy art, coloring books, apparel, and handcrafted incense. Name of Press Contact: Melissa Gindling [email protected]  Fine art, handcrafted accessories and gifts, books, greeting cards, jewelry, tropical decor, delicious baked goods, and more available at Sanibel Community House Arts & Crafts Fair, October 29, 2023. Sanibel Island, Florida - The Sanibel Community House will host an Arts & Crafts Fair on October 29, 2023. Shoppers will find fine art, handcrafted accessories, gifts, books, greeting cards, jewelry, shell crafts, tropical decor, and delicious baked goods from over 25 artists and makers. This free event takes place from 9 AM - 2 PM, indoors at The Community House, 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel Island, Florida. The Community House will be hosting artists and makers monthly, from October through April.  Ceramic Ornaments by Jill Keenley  Original watercolors by Vivian Kearney  Stained Glass by Clarice Fagin  Original Art by Paulette Boudreau Participating artists and makers for October 29th include:
Virginia Alden - resin art Leslie Angel - jewelry, artwork and baskets Mara Balodis - original art Melissa Beeck - resin decor Paulette Boudreau - original paintings Steve Canton - baked goods Renee Chastant - watercolor art Gina Cotter - shadow boxes and jewelry JoAnn Crag - glass art on canvas Jayne Crowell - handmade jewelry and purses Clarice Fagin - stained glass Guna Foraker - children's bows and ornaments Mike Gibson - fine jewelry Melissa & Matt Gindling - original illustrations Vivian Kearney - watercolor art Jill Keenley - pottery Salli Kirkland - crafts and culinary Jill Krummen - seaglass and beaded jewelry Trish Logan - handmade jewelry Christine Marshall - handcrafted night lights Nancy Rector - beaded jewelry Patty Rusch - handmade bags and painted jackets Lauren Sandler - beaded jewelry and handmade decor Perky Smoot - sea glass jewelry Jim & Patty Sprankle - porcelain creations Arlene Stigum - original oil paintings Lynn Walters - seashell decorations Sanibel Shellcrafters - original shell crafts Since 1927, The Community House has served as the gathering place of the islands. Many social organizations, civic groups, and clubs that first found a home here at The Community House are still here to this day. The Sanibel Community Association (SCA) is an independent nonprofit organization that operates “The Community House,” which not only serves as an event location but also offers rental space. SanibelCommunityHouse.net 239.472.2155 The Island Octopus was created by husband-wife team Matt and Melissa Gindling. Their online gift shop offers whimsical critters, beachy art, coloring books, apparel, and handcrafted incense. Name of Press Contact: Melissa Gindling [email protected]  Our events this month include the Wednesday Night Market at Alliance for the Arts and a "how to draw" event at Sanibel Public Library! Learn more on our local event page.
On Patreon this month, we will be releasing our next digital zine! This one will be themed Sandcastles & Cephalopods. We have several new items in the shop, including Matt's new incense blend: Birth of Aphrodite, some new card & postcard designs, and a dolphin sticker! We are also finishing some new shirt designs. Check out the new arrivals. Photo above: dolphin at Tarpon Bay Beach (Sanibel)  Our events this month include First Friday Art Walk, Wednesday Night Market at Alliance for the Arts, and UnicornFest. Melissa also enjoyed attending Saturday Crafterday at Sanibel Library and leading a "how to draw a frog" class in the children's section. Learn more on our local event page.
On Patreon this month, we will be releasing our next digital zine! This one will be themed Pirate Gold and will feature art and sketches by Matt and Melissa, a simple incense recipe to try at home, an activity, and more. We will be releasing a new sticker design this month, and subscribers to our Fiddler Crab, Manatee, and Gum Limbo tiers will receive one in the mail! Photo above: Fiddler crab spotted on Sanibel Island  Greetings from Fort Myers Florida!
The past couple of weeks have been insane here, to put it lightly. We were fortunate enough to have survived hurricane Ian with very little damage to our personal property and business inventory, but this disaster has hit extremely close to home. Most of our work has been inspired by the beauty and nature on Sanibel Island and the fun vibe of Fort Myers Beach. These past days we have went back and forth with how to move forward. Though it is going to be difficult, we have been inspired by the support of our friends here and the overall optimism of the local businesses and government. More debris is being removed everyday, and rebuilding is already taking place. First order of business, you can find Melissa's new Halloween designs here! We've also added some new Sanibel Island and Fort Myers Beach designs. A portion of all purchases from these categories will be donated. We are currently investigating where the donations will be directed. A lot of the events and markets we were planning the next few months have been cancelled, for obvious reasons. However, you can still find some Halloween goodies at our Virtual Halloween Market, Estero Farmers Market, Oktoberfest, and Fall Festival at Edison Ford Winter Estates. Learn more on our local event page. This month we are focussing on surviving, participating in the Drawtober art challenge on Instagram, and printing some cards for the upcoming holiday season. Follow our journey on Patreon! This month we are preparing some interesting incenses and ingredients for the Gum Limbo tier, sharing a photo tour of Six Mile Cypress Preserve, creating a Halloween-themed coloring page, and catching up with a few posts from last month due to the storm. Thank you so much to those of you who have supported us during this difficult time! Your kind comments and purchases mean a lot.  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
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