Menu
The Island Octopus
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Shop Online
    • Fort Myers, Florida
  • News & Events
    • Blog
    • Local Events
  • Our Journey
  • Home
  • Shop
    • Shop Online
    • Fort Myers, Florida
  • News & Events
    • Blog
    • Local Events
  • Our Journey

THE ISLAND OCTOPUS BLOG

February News

2/3/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
We've released lots of new items in the last few weeks, including cards, prints, incense, and stickers! Sign up for our newsletter or Patreon page to get a notification for our next release.

Our next art show will be this Saturday, February 5, from 9AM-2PM at the
Sanibel Community House! Join us for a variety of original art, shell and other crafts, jewelry, baked goods, cards, and more at 2173 Periwinkle Way, Sanibel, FL 33957. We will have a selection of our original artwork, prints, and Valentine cards available!

​Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing an otter coloring page, product previews, and artwork from some ongoing projects. We also will be announcing some exciting "secret news" this weekend!

Photo above: an illustration from a new project Matt is working on.
0 Comments

January News

1/6/2022

0 Comments

 
calico scallop shell
Our online shop is now back open! We are looking forward to a shop update later this month that will include art prints, postcards, and (hopefully) some t-shirts! Sign up for our newsletter or Patreon page to get a notification for the release.

Our first art show of the year will be a Coastal Arts & Craft Fair on Saturday, January 22 in Fort Myers! Join us outdoors at University Village Shops (19800 Village Center Dr, Fort Myers, FL 33913) from 10AM-3PM.


​Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be sharing a spoonbill coloring page, product previews, fun photos from the Fort Myers area, and artwork from some ongoing projects. We also revised Patreon tiers, and some of the tiers have been combined so that we are able to offer more perks to each patron!

Photo above: an illustration from a new project Melissa is working on.

0 Comments

December News

12/14/2021

0 Comments

 
seashells
You may have noticed our online shop is currently closed. We have officially moved to Fort Myers, and are awaiting our inventory to be delivered to us before re-opening! We are taking some time this month to consider retail spaces, and hope to be able to share some more news about that in the next few weeks.

​Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be releasing a holiday-themed coloring page, sharing a digital phone background, and discussing some ongoing projects, including t-shirts and roll-on perfumes. We also hope to share some photos of the retail space we are considering for our storefront!

Photo above: seashells found during a recent beach trip.
0 Comments

November News

11/4/2021

 
help wanted
Plans are coming along for our retail space in southern Florida! After much planning and research, we have realized that we can't do it alone. Having a little extra help from our supporters is essential to making this happen. We hope that you may share our dreams and would like to see us continue on our paths as artists. In addition to continuing our online sales, a physical location in southern Florida will allow us to focus on our artistic endeavors, and provide a larger studio space to create and display new artwork for you. We have endless ideas for new designs, including apparel, tropical flora & fauna-themed artwork, incense blends, and more. Learn more about our plans on our GoFundMe page!

Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be releasing a mermaid-themed coloring page, creating an octopus sticker sheet, sharing some previews of current art projects, and discussing how the business plans are coming along for The Island Octopus retail space!

How to Celebrate Halloween (besides eating candy)

10/20/2021

0 Comments

 
How to celebrate Halloween (besides eating candy) by The Island Octopus
Traditional Halloween activities include trick-or-treating, attending costume parties, carving pumpkins, telling scary stories, and visiting haunted houses. Continue reading for some other ways to continue the Halloween fun throughout the month of October! Check out our Pinterest board for related recipes and tutorials.

Activities and crafts:
  • Make an autumn feast
  • Bob for apples
  • Visit a pumpkin patch
  • Carve a pumpkin (or turnip!)
  • Make a mask
  • Attend a bonfire
  • Watch a scary movie
  • Read your fortune
  • Make pumpkin bread
  • Decorate candy apples
  • Watch a scary movie, or read a scary story
  • Color some Halloween coloring pages from our free selection, or our Halloween Coloring Book!

Decorations and accents:
  • Gourds
  • Ghosts
  • Tombstones & coffins
  • Skeletons
  • Cats
  • Bats
  • Cauldrons
  • Ravens
  • Owls
  • Monsters
  • Vampires
  • Dry leaves and flowers

Food to make and enjoy:
  • Everything pumpkin!
  • Root veggies
  • Apples
  • Pears
  • Herbal teas
  • Cider
  • Soup or stew

Scents:
  • Sage
  • Mugwort
  • Pumpkin
  • Burning leaves
  • Clove
  • Vanilla
  • Dragon's blood
  • Cinnamon
  • Rosemary
  • Benzoin
  • Copal
  • Patchouli
  • Sweetgrass
0 Comments

October News

10/12/2021

 
Halloween art from The Island Octopus
New arrivals in the shop this month include: Halloween art, incense, and stickers!

Join us for two events this month:
  1. ShopColumbia, at Columbia College Chicago (Melissa's alma mater), is hosting Dark Market, a spooky collection of works by Columbia artists with an emphasis on the macabre. Find a handful of Melissa's creations at this event. The Dark Market will feature all things spooky and magical with mediums including art prints, zines, books, stickers, enamel, patches, soft sculpture and more! The Dark Market should delight anyone who loves Halloween or hand made, one of a kind artwork. Enjoy a sampling of spooky items on display now in store through November 5, 2021. Shop online or in store.
  2. Join us Saturday October 16th for a Cat Art Fair at Mauhaus! Melissa, along with other local artists will be outside the cafe with all sorts of cat-themed goodies! Event runs from 10am-6pm, and the address is 3101 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, MO 63143.

Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be releasing Halloween coloring pages, discussing a recent trip, and sharing behind-the-scenes photos of our current projects! Learn more about Patreon here.

Halloween art and accessories available at Virtual Halloween Market

9/20/2021

0 Comments

 
Halloween art and accessories available at Virtual Halloween Market on October 1-3.
The Island Octopus gift shop hosts online event to help artists and small businesses this autumn.

St. Louis, Missouri - The Island Octopus gift shop will host a Virtual Halloween Market, an online shopping event featuring a variety of artists and makers, virtual activities, and freebies. Shoppers will find Halloween art, accessories, apparel, and home decor from 6 artists and small online businesses at this unique event. The Virtual Halloween Market runs from October 1-3, 2021. Shoppers can join the Facebook group or The Island Octopus website  to view the event.

​The Island Octopus was founded in 2021 by husband-wife team Matt and Melissa Gindling. The online gift shop offers whimsical critters, beachy art, coloring books, apparel, and handcrafted incense.
The Island Octopus' Virtual Halloween Market
0 Comments

Celebrating the Autumn Equinox

9/10/2021

 
How to celebrate the Autumn Equinox by IslandOctopus.com
The Autumn Equinox is one (of two) moments in the year when day and night are of equal length. It marks the beginning of autumn. In the northern hemisphere the Autumn Equinox usually falls on September 22 or 23, and in 2021, it is September 22. 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:
  • Make a dried fruit garland
  • Make a leaf rubbing
  • Write a gratitude list
  • Make a corn dolly
  • Make or buy an autumn wreath to display
  • Go on a nature walk and enjoy the changing leaves
  • Burn an autumn-themed incense (find a recipe below!)
  • Clean your home and decorate for autumn

Decorations and accents:
  • Acorns
  • Leaves
  • Apples
  • Corn
  • Autumn flowers (such as marigolds and mums)
  • Pine cones
  • The colors orange, yellow, red, and gold

Food to make and enjoy:
  • Bread
  • Grains
  • Apples
  • Squash
  • Pumpkin
  • Cider
  • Corn
  • Pies, especially apple pie
  • ​Seeds and nuts

Scents:
  • Cinnamon
  • Clove
  • Apple
  • Sage
  • Oak leaves
  • Yarrow
  • Pine
  • Rosemary
  • Sandalwood
  • Fern
Autumn Equinox Incense recipe by IslandOctopus.com
Autumn Equinox incense recipe:

Ingredients:
  • pinyon pine resin or other sticky pine resin
  • fallen sycamore leaves or oak leaves
  • cinnamon
  • rosemary
  • storax or honey

​Directions:
Grind dried leaves, cinnamon and rosemary with a mortar and pestle. Press in pine resin. Add small amount of storax and knead until thoroughly mixed. Roll into small balls if desired. Smolder on top of a hot hookah charcoal.
Autumn Incense on charcoal

September News

9/3/2021

 
Picture
a pitcher from our pitcher plant
Our next shop update will be in October for our Virtual Halloween Market! Expect to see new stickers, incense, art, and some bat ornaments.

Follow our journey on Patreon! On our page this month, we will be releasing two animal coloring pages, discussing the upcoming Halloween incense blends, releasing a bird-themed digital download, and sharing behind-the-scenes photos of our current projects! Learn more about Patreon here.

Patreon FAQs

8/25/2021

0 Comments

 
We are excited to inform you that The Island Octopus has a Patreon page! Each tier will provide you with exclusive content, artwork, downloads, samples, creations, and more.

What is Patreon?
Patreon is a membership platform that allows us to offer our supporters and followers monthly content and receive constant feedback as we create new artwork, incense, apparel, and more.
​

Patreon also supports our new explorations and ideas! Without the monetary support of our patrons, many experiments, projects, and prints would simply not be possible. When you become a patron, you are allowing us to purchase supplies & equipment, and spend time exploring and creating. Some of this money will also go towards opening our new retail space.

What do we offer on Patreon?
Each month, patrons will receive new content including articles, photos, creations, downloads, discount codes, behind-the-scenes videos, and/or early access to new releases. We currently have 8 different tiers on Patreon, which offer different types of content at different monthly pledges. Swipe through the photos below to see what each tier’s perks are!


Does this mean we will stop adding items to the store?
No, it doesn’t. But you will find exclusive offerings through our Patreon page such as samples, coloring pages, and digital downloads. You will keep seeing our artwork, books, and incense in the store as usual. Patreon tiers of Palm Tree and higher will also receive early-access to select new releases of incense, artwork, and apparel.


Why this change?
-We would love more feedback from our supporters as we create new products. Patrons will be able to comment on, vote, and give feedback on new product ideas and releases.
​

-To support our new explorations and ideas! Without the monetary support of our patrons, many experiments, projects, and prints would simply not be possible. When you become a patron, you are allowing us to purchase ingredients & equipment, and spending time exploring and creating. Some of this money will also go towards opening our new retail space.

-We would like to try unique experiments that wouldn’t necessarily be offered in our retail space. Select tiers will offer behind the scenes experiments, unusual incense blends, hand-collected ingredients, test batches, and/or digital downloads.

How do I join?
-View the monthly tier options by swiping through the photos below and visiting our Patreon page. 


-You are not required to stay on the same tier annually or anything (no contract), but can join and try out different tiers. Patreon will auto-renew you each month on your current tier, but you always have the option to cancel or change tiers.

-The Seashell Tier allows you to see many of our exclusive posts, and therefore learn more about the higher tiers you might be most interested in. It starts at $3/month.

-For the physical product tiers, such as Fiddler Crab, the monthly pledge includes shipping the item to you, so you will see two options for USA patrons and International patrons so that we can cover the appropriate shipping cost.

Visit our Patreon page here!

0 Comments
<<Previous
Forward>>

    THE ISLAND OCTOPUS BLOG

    Follow our journey, learn more about our products, join us for events, and view behind the scenes photos!

    CATEGORIES

    All
    Behind The Scenes
    Coloring
    Halloween
    Holidays
    Incense
    Mermaids
    Monthly News
    New Products
    Patreon
    Press Releases
    Sea Turtles
    Virtual Events

    ARCHIVES

    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021

    RSS Feed

Picture
SHOP
SHOP ONLINE
​RETAIL STORE
SHIPPING
​FAQS/RETURNS
ETSY
​ZAZZLE
ABOUT
OUR JOURNEY
BLOG
ISLAND OCTOPUS PRESS
INCENSE
​WHOLESALE
MEDIA
CONNECT
CONTACT US
PATREON
SWFL EVENTS
FACEBOOK
INSTAGRAM
HIRE US
ENJOY A LITTLE ISLAND TIME! SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL NEWSLETTER.
© 2022 THE ISLAND OCTOPUS™, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. TERMS & PRIVACY.
MADE IN FORT MYERS, FLORIDA