Thank you for a fun 10 years in business! To celebrate, we will be having a sale in our shop, and a few giveaways during this event. Look for details in the Facebook event discussion, or shop the sale now!
 Join us for Old Man Winter's Virtual Holiday Bazaar!There are two ways to attend this virtual market November 28-30!
🌲 Sign up for a free email ticket here, and enter to win a door prize! 🍄 Join the Facebook group and participate in the activities here! Activities will include: -Free coloring page printables & coloring contest -Enter to win a door prize when you sign up for a free e-ticket -Coupon codes and gifts from select vendors -A "how to draw" video tutorial -The Inky Octopus will release several new products during this event, including holiday stationery and ornaments! Other Featured Vendors: Binx Ceramic - Adorable clay critters Ethereal Aromas Incense - Handmade incense blends and resin incense Mermaid Waterlily - Original t-shirts & gifts Rising Phoenix Perfumery - Original perfume blends Stephanie Mai Designs - Black ink illustrations inspired by the Pacific Northwest WaggonsWest - Handmade whimsical plush and merit badges Would you like a reminder email when this event begins? Click here! Duskie the Owl Picture Book Released at Virtual Halloween Market St. Louis author and illustrator create online event to help small businesses this autumn St. Louis, Missouri - Author Matthew Gindling and illustrator Melissa Rohr will release Duskie the Owl, a children’s storybook, on October 16, 2020. The book will be for sale during The Inky Octopus Virtual Halloween Market, an online shopping event featuring a variety of artists and makers.  Duskie the Owl features a screech owl who wants to find a new friend in his forest home. The Inky Octopus Virtual Halloween Market runs from October 16-18, 2020. More information about Duskie the Owl and The Inky Octopus Virtual Halloween Market can be found at www.IslandOctopus.com, and on the Facebook event page.
Matthew Gindling is a visual artist, musician and creator of artisanal incense blends. Matthew received a BFA with emphasis on graphic design from Webster University (MO). Melissa Rohr’s past book releases include The Sleep Catcher written by Za Goodbrake, Little Bird, Little Bird by Loni Hoots, and an Octopus Coloring Book. Melissa received a BFA in illustration from Columbia College Chicago (IL), and is the owner of The Inky Octopus online art shop. Name of Press Contact: Melissa Rohr www.IslandOctopus.com New items coming to the shop on October 16th at 3pm CST! Join us at the Inky Octopus Virtual Halloween Market and see all of the new goodies.          Join us for the Inky Octopus Virtual Halloween Market! Shop spooky items from a variety of artists and makers online!
Attend the virtual market by doing one (or more) of the following throughout the weekend: -Visiting the vendors' shops and social media pages -RSVPing to the Facebook event page, and participating in the activities in the discussion area -Browse the hashtag #InkyHalloweenMarket on Instagram and Facebook to see more art and products -Color our free coloring page (to be announced), and share your creation for a chance to win -Print our free Jack-o-Lantern templates (to be announced), and share your finished carved pumpkins View more details on the Virtual Halloween Market page!      Thanks for joining us at The Big Glamp festival in Carondelet Park, St. Louis last weekend! We had a fun time enjoying the weather, bands, and other goodies. Keep an eye out for these new products in our shop, and our next big festival is Strange Folk in September!
 Looking for some fun activities this February? You can find lots to do in St. Louis this month. Find some of The Inky Octopus' artwork, coloring books, and more in the following pop-up shops this month. Many events also have additional DIY activities along with shopping!
2/7 - 2/17 Tryst on Cherokee Pop Up (St. Louis, MO) Shop local for your Valentine's Day gifts! Tryst on Cherokee is a 10-day, multi-boutique pop up shop on Cherokee Street, featuring artists and makers from Saint Louis and beyond. Join us Thursday, February 7, 5-8 pm for our Launch Party on the 2300 block of Cherokee! Find some of The Inky Octopus' items in the shops along Cherokee during this event. 2/9 Galentine's Day Pop Up (Ellisville, MO) Grab your girlfriends and come do some early Galentine's Day shopping at Restoration Alley! Noon - 5pm. Find some of The Inky Octopus' items in the shop! Snow Queen's Pop-Up Shops (St. Louis, MO) - Ongoing Shop fresh spring merch by dozens of Strange Folk makers in this traveling pop-up boutique and hands-on experience at unique local businesses. Free admission. Kid-friendly. All-ages DIY projects a la carte. Ongoing dates through March. Visit the Facebook page for dates and details. Small Business Saturday inspired me to write a post featuring some of my favorite local businesses! Although I do enjoy big box stores and our favorite online retailers as much as most folks, it is great to support local businesses, artists, and restaurants. Spending some of your money with these folks helps to support your local economy and improve your community! I encourage you to try shopping from some small businesses around you for the holiday season. If you're in the St. Louis, Missouri and surrounding area, here are some of my favorite places for holiday gifts!
Restoration Alley DIY Studio and Handmade Market located in Ellisville, features a variety of handmade items from local crafters. You can also sign up for classes in their studio, with projects for all ages. LotusColour offers a variety of handmade and custom clothing for yoga, festival-wear, performance, and more. Check out their super soft fabric and unique designs! Binx Ceramic is the best place for super sweet ceramic creations! Find Binx at a variety of local craft fairs, and stop by the open house on the 21st! The Tiny Hedgehog offers a selection of handmade baby & toddler clothing, featuring adorable fabrics and trendy designs. Pick up something fun for the tot on your list! Riley Construction offers modern handmade rag dolls and stuffed animals. Her plush mermaids are the cutest! Bright Idea Toys located in Town & Country has a great selection of the newest, popular, and educational toys. They also have lots of fun events (they even hosted us, and our friend Mermaid Waterlily last month!), and they also offer gift-wrapping in store! I Dream to Be written by local author Rebecca T. Clark encourages readers to use imagination by dreaming of different occupations. The Sleep Catcher by local author Za Goodbrake is a captivating wordless tale about a young girl's dreamy quest to fall asleep. Kind Soap Company in Webster Groves offers natural skin care, and other scented goodies! I just recently tried a few items from this shop, and love them! Jewelry by Michele Mohr offers beautiful handcrafted enamel jewelry. What a decadent gift one of her pieces would make! St. Louis and the surrounding area is really becoming a restaurant city! There are so many delicious choices, and I love that many are locally-owned. Here are a few places I frequent: Lulu's Local Eatery, Candici's, Tree House, Kakao Chocolate, and Sarah's Cake Shop. If you're looking to find a variety of handmade items, check out one of the many holiday markets this month!    We had such a fun time at Strange Folk Festival this year! For the release of our new Mermaid's World Coloring Book, we decided to have a real mermaid join us! We hope everyone enjoyed taking photos with her, and checking out our new products.
   Here are a few of my illustrations that were on display at SOHA Studio and Gallery's annual Holiday Gift Show this past December. I always enjoy visiting this show, and usually come away with several new treasures. December's show featured a collection of wearables, ornaments, housewares, and art by over sixty St. Louis makers. Thank you to those of you who supported local St. Louis artists!
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