My china pattern includes tentacles, how about you?

Anthropologie has come up with some more lovely cephalopod designs - this time that normal people might be able to afford!  Their 'From The Deep' dinner set has an assortment of charming tentacled designs, including a teacup with a tentacle handle.  A teacup I've been sipping tea out of all morning!

Happy Holidays from Cephalopods everywhere!

Originally blogged at Archie McPhee's Endless Geyser of Awesome (which we at CTP are inclined to suggest is in fact an endless geyser of awesome) - we bring you some Holiday cheer in the form of everyone's favorite tentacled elder god!

They write:

"Faced with the realisation that we suddenly had room enough to put up our own Christmas tree, I was initially at a loss when considering how to decorate it. We have no ornaments and the idea of shopping for them made me drowsy. I can’t remember what first brought to mind the image of a tree covered in tentacles (perhaps it’s best not to ask), but as soon as I envisioned it I couldn’t let go of the idea.

Using an artificial tree, blue string lights, silver garland, one plush Cthulhu (who has been silently biding his time in my home for years), approximately 50 Cthulhu Tentacles, and a little heady chanting (no one wants to upset the Great Old Ones), “A very Lovecraft Christmas” became a reality. I’m rather pleased with the results. Let’s hope the Old Ones are too. I’m beginning to suspect that it writhes when I’m not looking.

Ph’nglui mglw’nafh Cthulhu R’lyeh wgah’nagl fhtagn."

Happy Holidays to you and yours!

Photo and quoted content © Archi McPhee

A Suction Cup Anthology calling for submissions

Obsolescent Press sent us a note letting us know that they're collecting submissions for an Octopus themed short story anthology called Suction Cup Dreams: An Octopus Anthology!  We know that we've got some creative readers out there (at least if your haikus are anything to judge by).

Stories of any genre or style are desired, as long as they are somehow inspired by or involve our beloved octopodes. Reprints are permissible, and while there is no pay, all chosen authors do receive a contributor's copy of the printed book upon publication.  Deadline for submissions is January 31, 2012.


They have a market listing on Duotrope.

You can find out more about the guidelines and Obsolescent press on their webite: http://www.obsolescent.info

Return of Tadly

Perhaps you remember last year when we introduced you to Tadly Waldorfington?

Well Cleo Dee has written to let us know that there are new improved Tadly plushes available for his fans in her Etsy Shop !

"To pursue his dreams, Tadly Waldorfington left the comfort of his Midwestern home for the convenient base campe of Middlebury, New Jersey. Although he does have the steady companionship of Abigail, he would love to have even more friends around the world to share in his expeditions and discoveries. Please bring Tadly into your home to hear of tales from far-away lands that no human would dare to reach."


And while you're there,  check out her assortment of holiday Squid for all your celebratory needs!

 

All about plush

We had an email, a while ago asking for more plush octopi.  We're pleased to bring you a post full of plush!  There's plenty more lovable cephalopod softies mentioned here previously - just click the 'plush' tag to check out a whole school of them!

Leonardo a huggably soft plush dumbo octopus, designed by Lauren Venell.  His eyes and suckers glow in the dark folks (which I have to admit, it a little creepy if he's sitting on a shelf staring at you as you try to sleep at night, but he means no harm, I promise).  He should be available in stores near you, but if you can't find him you can find the blog post about him here, and ask all kind of prying questions about how to get your tentacles on one!

If sometimes less squishy is more your thing, this felted blue ring octopus is amazing, and much less poisonous then its living namesake.  Check out the listing and look at the tiny rows of felted suckers on each tentacle!  And he's not the only cephalopod in FamiliarOddlings shop either.

And finally, if you prefer to wear your tentacles out on the town, this hat is definitely a stylish way to do it.  This hat is offered as a customizable design, created by Megan Bishop.  So not only can you wear your tentacles, you can color match them too!

WinonaCookie - long time friend of Cephalopods everywhere, has created another whimsical piece of art featuring tentacled sea creatures. As with all her work, its accompanied by a story all its own and describes the habits of the illusive land octopi:

Land Octopi (Cephalopod terranius) who, in the wild, mainly forage among shrubbery for grubs and dropped toffee but on occasion have been known to slither up a tree to help themselves to a plump Airfish or two.

You can read the whole story on her Etsy listing, and enjoy lots of other cephalopod stories in her shop.

And it glows in the dark!

After a history of showing our dear readers glass sculptures that are well outside the average budget, here is something you can actually afford for a change. And also...it glows in the dark.

EmergentGlassworks on Etsy has a shop full of cephalopod glass works, but well - this one glows in the dark! Which makes it better.