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THE ISLAND OCTOPUS BLOG

October 29, 2023: Sanibel Community House Arts & Crafts Fair

10/1/2023

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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. 
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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.
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Ceramic Ornaments by Jill Keenley
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Stained Glass by Clarice Fagin
Participating artists and makers for October 29th include:
Virginia Alden
Leslie Angel
Mara Balodis
Melissa Beeck
Paulette Boudreau
Steve Canton
Renee Chastant
Gina Cotter
JoAnn Crag
Jayne Crowell
Clarice Fagin
Guna Foraker
Mike Gibson
Melissa & Matt Gindling
Vivian Kearney
Jill Keenley
Salli Kirkland
Jill Krummen
Trish Logan
Christine Marshall
Nancy Rector
Patty Rusch
Lauren Sandler
Perky Smoot
Jim & Patty Sprankle
Arlene Stigum
Lynn Walkters

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
Melissa@islandoctopus.com
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August News

8/4/2023

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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)
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May News

5/7/2023

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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
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October News

10/6/2022

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Octopus Costume Party Card
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.
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The Banded Tulip Shell

8/10/2022

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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.
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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.
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Banded Tulip found at Gulf Side Beach, Sanibel Island 2022

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