I still have the Sheaffer Calligraphy pens that I saved my babysitting money in middle school to buy. They still work amazingly well too! Although many things have changed in the design of them since then, they just keep getting better. These pens are solid tools that will last a lifetime if you take care of them…. Even if you’re a teenager when you first get them and don’t take the best of care of them, haha. Hands down these pens are great. They introduced me to a lifetime love of calligraphy and made me believe at a young age that I could do it like a pro. For that, I’m forever thankful. I love that these pens are still available today and have some cool new features, like the see through barrel that makes it easy to see what color ink you have inside.

Sheaffer Calligraphy pens have a stainless steel nib in fine, medium, or broad widths. They come in some fun colors these days and have a click off cap. Sheaffer’s specially formulated ink flows flawlessly and dries quickly. The tip can be used with a twist-action Piston Converter to fill the pen from Skrip® Bottled Ink. Sheaffer stands behind their products with a lifetime mechanical warranty. I won’t admit how many years ago I bought my first Sheaffer Calligraphy pens, but they have stood the test of time. I doubt you’ll ever need to take them up on it but it’s nice to know that companies stand behind their products with such integrity.

This is a beautiful set of Sheaffer Calligraphy Pens. It includes all 3 width sizes of nibs, 20 different ink cartridges that can easily be swapped back and forth, and of course the amazing lifetime mechanical warranty that Sheaffer offers. We have this set for $37 and that’s a great deal over what it would cost buying all the pieces on their own. We sell the pens individually as well as the ink refills in all the colors. Mention this blog post and get this set for $34.99! (valid until 12/31/21)

Whether you’re just starting out in calligraphy or adding new writing tools to your collection this set is a great set for beginners and advanced calligraphers alike. They might not look or seem as fancy as some other ones out there, but they are fantastic. Durable, easy to use, versatile, easy to change colors, and less messy than a lot of other pens I have used. Unless you’re like teenage me trying to refill the cartridges with ink that isn’t the right kind and making a mess all over my bedroom floor. I wouldn’t suggest trying some things that I have, but these pens have survived all of the things I tried over the years and came through it all with a lasting grace that I appreciate every time I pick one of them up and remember the many adventures we've had together.

Is it Acrylic? Is it gouache? Or is it magically both? It is technically an acrylic paint in many aspects, but it has some of the properties of gouache that no other acrylic paint does. It truly is unique and a paint all on its own. We get a lot of questions about this paint and I wanted to answer some of those here.

Holbein Acryla Gouache moves, reacts, blends and feels like traditional gum arabic gouache. It is water resistant once dry. Drying to a velvet matte finish; Acryla Gouache does not shift in color tone from liquid to dry color. What you see is what you get once dry. It doesn’t have the same fragile surface as traditional gouache in gum arabic and is compatible with all other water soluble media. So Acryla Gouache is the best of a few worlds, all rolled in to one paint. It is opaque, creamy, matte, and easy to spread. Final dried surface is water resistant and velvety matte in appearance. Being so flat in sheen helps when photographing your work, avoiding glare from traditionally glossy pigment colors. Since the pigment load is so high in these paints, a little goes a long way. No need to squeeze out much, these tubes go much farther than it may appear they will. Holbein Acryla Gouache is a great medium for designers, illustrators, hobbyist, student, and professional artists. Acryla Gouache is in a class of its own, highly pigmented and extremely versatile. You can paint on wood, canvas, fabric, paper, and many other surfaces that traditional gouache does not adhere to.

These 4 color, ready to pour, acrylic sets have been popular. This is a great place to start if you’re wanting to do some pour painting but don’t want to spend lots of money on colors. I often suggest high pigmented colors for pour painting because they will go farther than other brands, as well as blend and mix beautifully. I think it’s important to have tools that do not lead to frustration, but rather inspire creativity and the freedom to spend time experimenting. 

DecoArt makes a great beginner paint and means you can experiment a lot without breaking the bank. These paint sets come in really fun color combos that are mindfully thought out to give you immediate fun results. They’re inspiring just to look at and would make a great gift for an artist that wants to play around with pouring paint across canvas.

Shades and hues of similar colors, neon pop colors, and metallics to name a few color selections we carry of these. These sets are on sale for $16.99 for the 4-pack. Add a few $1 brushes, a few empty paint bottles, and a canvas or two and you have an amazing set up for hours of fun painting. Want a custom set up made for you from these? Just let us know! We would be happy to put a personalized set together for you. Just give us your budget and leave the rest up to us! We will make sure you have it all covered and stay within your budget.

Pro tip: Instead of using silicone oil that has questionable longevity and stability issues- - use rubbing alcohol to create fun cell like structures in your paint pouring. It will give you wildly fun techniques and then entirely evaporate out of your painting instead of layering oil & water.

New designs in stock!
These Vintage Totes are 100% natural cotton heavyweight tote bags feature an interior pocket and beloved imagery from the Cavallini archives. If you haven’t noticed, we are obsessed with their archives and stock as many of their poster wrapping papers as possible. They make the perfect carry-all and pair perfectly with the Vintage Pouch. These make fun reusable shopping bags, book totes, traveling bags, or even gift bags. Only $15.99

Vintage Pouches- Cavallini zippered pouches are made from 100% natural cotton and feature a high quality zipper, a leather zipper pull, and dark navy cotton lining. These stylish pouches are perfect for your small items and pair perfectly with the vintage tote. Use these for makeup, pencils, pens, or your favorite snacks. We love these pouches and have many new designs in stock. $11.99-$13.99

We do not have these bags listed in our online shop yet. They often sell out before we can have them listed here. Feel free to email or call us with your orders if you want one of these. Or just pop by the Art Supply Center on Foster Rd in Portland Mon-Sat 10-5. We do have some of their vintage posters listed online if you want to check them out try the button link below. Although none of the cool new ones we just got in are up yet, I do hope to update that soon. More herbs, plants, trains, camping, foraging, and various other ones are in stock now that are not reflected here in our online shop.

Click this button link below for a cool science project inspired by Van Gogh Starry Night and a lesson in color science using skittles. 

Our famous "coal in your stocking" charcoal bundles are always fun gifts this time of year. White elephant gifts or stocking stuffers, these are a great deal! Bundle of 25 sticks of vine charcoal Retails for $12.99, on Sale for only $4.99!

Artists tools make great stocking stuffers! Palette knives, brushes, paint pens, rolls of pretty papers, markers, tiny sketchbooks, paint tubes, washi tape, pens, tiny canvases or easels, glitter, pencil sharpeners, brush soap, mini palettes, and gift cards- oh my! The art store is full of stocking stuffer sized fun for the artists in your life, or for yourself. We have candy jars full of options easy to shop, but we also love personally working with you to create special custom gifts for stockings. There are many great treasures to find that will fit in any budget. The Tiny Shiny section here has been popular for that this year with all the sparkly bling and creatures for so cheap. 

Don't have the time or desire to come shop yourself? Let us do the shopping for you! Fill out a curbside pickup order form and give us: any ideas you have, the budget you want us to stay in, and anything else you want us to know and let us take it from there. We really enjoy doing secret santa shopping for you! Whether it is basic supplies, stocking stuffers, or a custom gift set- we have got you covered and are more than happy to do the shopping for you. Click the button below to use our order ahead form and let us help you save time, and money. 

We love supporting the arts in our community, don't you? We have a cool category in one of our online shops that can help you do just that. It is called Give The Gift Of Art and has several ways that you can give the gift of art supplies to others in the community. We work hard to fill in the gaps and make the list of needs fit into the budget for art teachers, non-profits, local grass roots small businesses, as well as supporting tons of community events. 
Check out some of the options below that we have available for you to partner with us in giving the gift of art:

Blog Posts are a great simple way for me to get a quick message out to you, or advertise a sale going on. Anything posted during the week will be included in an email blast on Mondays. I just wanted to take a minute and explain how to order anything from our posts like this. Click read more if you want to learn more...

As many of you know, Sculpey oven bake clay has had national shortages for over a year now. The global supply chain issues have made some things difficult to find, especially when they are trending like oven bake clay has been. We still have some Sculpey clay in stock, and we snatch up stock whenever it becomes available. The color selection is limited but some of it is still available. 

We have brought in some cute oven bake clay kits that we have in stock now. These make great gifts for kids and adults alike. Prices range from $7-$25 for these kits.

4”x4” cradled wood panels make a perfect gift giving size to paint on. They are also a fun stocking stuffer for artists. These gallery depth 4x4’s are a great deal too!
Retail is $8.36 and our price is $4.99! 

​More durable than canvas, wood panels resist flexing or warping, making them great for painting, especially thick, heavy applications and palette knife work, as well as encaustic, mixed media and craft use as a shadow box, frame or tray. The 4mm hand-sanded birch wood surface is smooth for detailed work and mounting. The sturdy pine cradle adds support and allows for hanging without a frame. Available in two profile depths: Studio panels have a 3/4" deep profile and Gallery panels have a 1-1/2" deep profile.

We stock many wood panels, in various sizes and depths. Find these sale itty bitty cute ones out on the floor in little displays or order other sizes at the bar. We have quite a few of these, but this super sale is only good while supplies last.

Tiny Art Studio Sets

​The art may be tiny, but the creativity is unlimited! This kits includes small-scale (yet still usable) versions of art supplies, including paint, colored pencils, and more. Sprinkled throughout are sidebars on the artists and art history behind the tongue-in-cheek takes on classics by famous artists including Frida Kahlo, Vincent Van Gogh, Piet Mondrian, Leonardo di Vinci, and more. Extra blank canvases let budding artists express themselves, and a display easel lets them show off their mini masterpieces!
​Tiny Studio in a box $19.99

Our framing services are the same, but we have changed our set up a bit. My main goal has been to keep our entire staff working through the pandemic and to do so in a way that keeps our staff and customers safe. There are many new ways that we are creatively filling custom framing needs in a to-go style for those who do not need full custom framing or an in person appointment. We also offer our full custom frame shop services in person, by appointment. This article discusses the history of our frame shop and explores our service options and how to best navigate them. We are excited to keep reinventing as we adapt to the ever changing landscape. The biggest change is that we are now by appointment. I believe this new setup enable us to serve you better, and work more efficiently.

If you need framing, or are curious about our services and history on it, keep reading below.

We just came across some extra back stock of these beautiful zippered cases that Silver Brush makes, so we are having a sale on them! We do not typically stock these, but often buy them on sale and can always special order them in if you love them.

These are a perfect way to store and keep your brushes, tools, and other supplies. You can make your own custom brush set, or have us make one for you! We love doing that this time of year! We have purple and red in both sizes, and a couple long handle cases left in the black.
​Good while supplies last. Limited to stock on hand.

Long handle zipper cases in purple, black, & red

Long handle brush cases-
​The long handled Monaco™ brush case has sturdy elastic bands that secure your brushes and other tools. On the opposite side, you'll find a convenient clear zipper pocket that holds smaller items.

​Dimensions: 15”H x 8”W x 2-1/4”D
Retails $28.95
​Our Price $14.99

These cases can be used for other tools too. This is a great deal on high quality brush cases in vibrant colors. Limited to stock on hand for this deal.
​Get them while you can!

Piñata Colors are highly saturated, fast-drying alcohol inks for any hard surface, including glass, metal, plastic, ceramic, stone, leather, resin, polymer clay, YUPO® and more. Indelible and impervious to water, Piñata Colors clean up with alcohol and re-wet themselves, allowing for unique effects and techniques not easily achieved with water-based inks. As a dye-based, highly transparent ink, Piñata Colors are unparalleled for vibrancy. Only the most lightfast dyes have been selected for the palette. Acid-free with excellent adhesive properties, Piñata Colors are the go-to inks for all non-porous surfaces.
TECHNIQUES
fine arts, scrapbooking, crafts, faux stained glass, card making, resin arts, faux finishing techniques and staining wood and leather
SURFACES
glass, metal, plastic, vinyl, ceramic, stone, leather, epoxy resins, YUPO®, foil, wood, encaustic, Claybord™, fiberglass, acrylic, polymer clay and more

We stock the whole line of colors in both the 1/2oz jar as well as the 4 oz jar.
​Open stock colors are $3.59-$13.99 each, and are often on sale.

We love these exciter packs! They're a great way to try out a range of colors and experiment with alcohol inks. $29.39

Painted Ceramics using alcohol inks- makes a great gift project!

Alcohol Inks on ceramic tile- Another great DIY Gift idea

Check out Jacquards website or YouTube channel for more inspiration. Here is a link to a great product resource guide with tips & techniques for using alcohol inks. 

These new art sets we stock are so cute! Perfect for younger littles that are often hard to find appropriate art kits for. We stock lots of these Djeco sets now- from painting, drawing, scratch art, origami, sand painting, and more! These are fantastic boxed sets that are age appropriate for kids as young as 18 mos old, and many for ages 3-5 or 4-7. There are many other products we stock that are good for younger kids, but the toddler years are tricky ones to suggest art supplies for. A lot of it depends on the kid, how they handle themselves and their personality. It is a challenging age to have fun making messes with, as a parent. These sets might be my new favorite because it will make it so easy for parents to help their child navigate art projects, even if they are not into art themselves. They are super cute, come in reusable, recyclable packaging, and have easy to follow projects and inspiration for budding little artists. Win, win, win! 
​Prices range from $6.99- $26.99 and are sure to create hours of fun.

These step-by-step sets are perfectly age appropriate and easy to follow. $12.99

CUTE Origami Kits for $6.99

These scratch art kits are amazing! Only $6.99

And so many more! Here are just a few more samples of our current stock.
​These range from $16.99-$26.99 

Some of these are for older ages, not just toddlers, and even adults too! We are excited to carry more products from this brand and think you will love them too.

Video link below- Make your own wrapping paper- scroll down to the end for links & resources

Jacquard Marbling Kit- This marbling kit for paper and fabric contains six .5 oz. colors (yellow, red, violet, blue, white, and black), Carrageenan marbling medium, Alum sizing, Synthetic Gall and complete instructions. The kit is designed for professionals, yet easy enough to use for beginners and makes a great group activity. Marbled paper is a tradition in bookbinding. This kit has vibrant colors that look beautiful on paper or fabric. Kit is $19.99

Fashion Angel Pouch Kit- Marbling made easy! This marbling kit contains all the tools needed to create beautiful pouches as well as other projects. The kit includes two pouches, Carrageenan powder, marbling paint, swirling tool, three stir sticks and instructions. The kit has enough materials to marble dye additional items too! Add the marble effect to T-shirts, totes and even stationery. Recommended for ages 8 and up. $17.99 

We even have an adorable kit for marbling with little kids. Painting With Marbles is a playful painting activity kit for children. Place paper cut-outs in the box and add marbles daubed with large drops of paint. Close the box and shake. Open it up and surprise! Kits include everything needed, marbles, paints, painting containers, elements to paint and an instruction booklet. Recommended for ages 3-6 and up. $26.99

Make hand marbled gift wrapping paper!

Blacklight Marbling? yes, please! 

More Marbling Inspiration videos on Jacquards Youtube channel

New Tie Dye Kits in stock! Lots of options to choose from, and most are under $20. Hours of fun for all ages. Here is a sampling of some of the ones we carry, and some resource links below for tips, tricks, and other inspiration. 

​Fashion Angels Tie Dye Bracelets kit- Learn the art of tie dye while creating name, message or story bracelets in the Tie Dye Bracelets Kit. This kit comes with five jersey fabric strips (36 each), alphabet cube beads, four colors of dye, a pair of non-latex gloves and easy to follow instructions. Dye is pre-measured in the capped spray bottles, just add water. It's a great artistic and creative way to get away from the screen and for any gifting occasion. Recommended for ages 8 and up. $17.99

​This kit will have you creating colorful clothing in three easy steps. The kit contains everything needed to tie dye five T-shirts; rubber gloves, magenta, turquoise and yellow pre-measured dye in applicator bottles, rubber bands and dye fixer. For ages 12 and up. $13.29

Jacquard has a lot of great videos on their channel. Here is one with tips to create the classic center spiral. Check out their channel for more tips and techniques.
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They also provide easy download sheets for projects and other fun. The link in the button below even has a easy to print sheet to send home with your guests if you have a tie dye party. 

Prang Washable tempera 8 color set. Retails $4.80, on sale for $2.99! This set has 8 colors and includes a brush.

Sargent Art 6 color washable paint pot set. Retails $4.49, on sale for $2.99. The pots in a base are a great feature for more stability and easy set up.

Be still my- Bruce Lee loving- heart! Blackwing's new limited edition pencil is a tribute to one of my favorite guys. We have lots in stock now- perfect timing for his birthday. We have both the pencils and the notebooks for this limited edition release.

The notebooks come in 2 packs for $13.90 for the pair

The pencils are $2 each or $24 for a whole box of these beauties. ​

Good while supplies last- these are a limited edition specialty pencil so snag 'em while you can!

Let's not talk about how much Bruce Lee stuff I have, haha. I'll confess that I have his pic, with heart stickers on it, in a prominent place on my desk- yes, just like I'm still in Jr High. There's a handful of other Bruce themed decor at my desk too.

​This life-size Bruce was a gift for my birthday last year and kept me inspired all through the pandemic chaos and long hours last year. I kind of think it's perfect for the art store, but I'm a huge fan so I might be a little biased. He likes it here and is friends with our mannequin Isabella and Izzie too so he's just stayed. Someday I will take him home, who knows when though. If you want to take your picture with my life size Bruce Lee with your new special pencils, we can make that happen! Just sayin'...... 

I've always loved going to craft fairs, makers markets, and bazaars. I have fond memories of both visiting and slinging my own goods at holiday craft fairs or events. This year it feels more like something to be thankful for, it’s so good to hear of various shows and events going on around town. There are also a ton of ways to shop local handmade online, from the comfort of your home.

Handmade is the best, isn't it? Shopping local artists and supporting them always makes the best gifts. We love to connect others in the community and promote local makers markets and arts festivals. I am working on compiling a list of current places you can shop local online this year. I will list some options below, but I know there are so many more than I have listed. Feel free to email me things to add or comment them below. I'd love to highlight local shopping for the next few weeks and any other fun ways to support local artists. Even if you do not live in Portland, some of these options can be applied to anywhere that you live.

Shop Small PDX is a great resource. If you have not checked this business directory out- DO IT! Looking for BIPOC, woman, minority, or otherwise awesome owned businesses? This list has it all clearly marked. It's incredible to go through this list and find new things to check out. I highly suggest looking at this list for finding small shops you don't know about. Not going to shop in-person this year? no problem! All of these have unique creative ways to shop local from the comfort of your own home. They also have a markets & events page with some upcoming things. Click the button below to check out this cool new resource:

Pop-Up shop with a curated group of minority owned local small businesses doing a 6 week shop that also includes local entertainment and food vendors. Located in the Alberta Arts area, that also has tons of galleries and local shops to support. 

Crafty Wonderland is back this year! Lots of local vendors to check out at their show in the convention center, or shop their list of vendors online. Crafty Wonderland has 2 brick-and-mortar stores and does 2 local shows a year. It has become the largest handmade crafts show in the Northwest. Shop their stores online or visit the show coming up.

Portland Night Market, Sewing Festival, Scan fest, and so much more! Check out Travel Portland's list of holiday shows and festivals. This is a great list of many local festivals, fairs, maker's spaces, and shows. It is also updated regularly.

Etsy is a great place to find handmade goods, local shops, and discover local artists. You can use their filter button to locate your local area, like Portland, OR. Find Etsy shops here locally and shop local handmade right from your phone or computer. I have had fun using the filters and search to find local makers that make the things I am looking for. 

I'm sure I am missing a ton of shop local or handmade options. Feel free to comment here with anything you know about that's going on or email me suggestions for my next shop local spotlight. Shopping local and handmade is always my favorite! I wanted to spotlight some options and resources you can utilize to find new small businesses to support this holiday season.

​Thanks for shopping local! It means the world to all of us little shops that make up the landscape of our beautiful city in all of its creative innovation and small businesses. I love how diverse and amazing our city is, and all of the awesome small businesses there are out there to support. 

Paint tubes are perfect for stockings! Any medium, any size are all stocking size. These Acryla Gouache tubes are a popular choice.

Sparkles, brushes, paints, and pens oh my! The art store is such a fun place to find perfect stocking stuffers at. We have everything from tiny shiny bling 4/$1 to fancier options. Here are a few fun ideas:

Brushes make a great stocking stuffer. We have cool options from $0.50 up to $40. Tons of options in the $1 & $3 range. 

Our famous "Coal in your stocking" bundles are back. Bundles of charcoal sticks for $4.99 make a fun gift for stockings. 

Calligraphy pens are a great option. We have simple, inexpensive for around $1.50 up to fancier options in the $10-$20 range. Perfect for the loved one that loves lettering. 

Spirograph sets for $4. Hours of fun for kids (or adults like me, haha) and can be used with all kinds of pens and pencils. Pairs nicely with pencils, pens, and a sketchbook or ruler for gifts too. Brings back memories of rulers and graph lines.

These Rembrandt pastel boxes are beautiful and a fun $9.99 gift for the pastel artist. These are a great way to try this brand of pastels and the color options are a great way to get their favorites. 

These flip out watercolor paint sets are so great! They come in 18 colors for $19.99 or 42 colors for $29.99. They come with a waterbrush, have vibrant colors, and abuilt in mixing area. By far the most popular watercolor set for the last few years.

Unique Tools- so many fun options for unique tools, like these fineline applicator bottles you can fill with ink, paint, water, masking fluid, or anything else you want to fill them with. We love helping people find unique tools for artist's stockings- just ask us! 

Tins of art supplies, all neatly arranged in rainbow order, are always a fun gift! They're reusable and not made of plastic. There are many things I love about tin sets, there's something old fashioned and classic about metal over plastic. Mostly, its the supplies all lined up in rainbow color order that brings that burst of joy inside me soul at seeing them pop out at me when I open the lid. Pastel pencils, watercolor crayons, paints, pastel sticks, colored pencils, crayons, markers, you name it- they all make me feel like an excited 5 year old, haha. Here are some of the fun tin sets we have around the shop. If you are looking for a tin gift set of supplies then check these out:

(above picture Is Conte Pastel Pencils- classic choice of artists for years.)
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Caran D'ache watercolor pencils.... watercolor, drawing, mixed media, and even face painting fun are all packed in to these vibrant crayons.

Stabilo CarbOthello pastel pencils are rich, smooth, and creamy. Great choice for someone wanting to experiment with pastels or your favorite professional too. 

Prismacolor pencil sets are a solid choice of students and professionals alike. Highly pigmented colors made with beeswax for unique blending abilities and smooth lay down. 

Caran D'ache Gouache sets... oooh la la! High quality opaque watercolors colors that are vibrant, opaque, and blend beautifully. 

These Sparkly watercolors will always wow with pizazz. High quality colors that shimmer, sparkle, and shine anything you add them to. Wildly fun, and slightly addictive. 

These Sargent Art colored pencils are a good quality pencil and a great deal! Tons of colors for the artist who loves lots of choices.

Classic graphite pencil tins are always needed. These mars lumograph are one of my favorites and come in 6 or 12 sets of varying grades of drawing pencils. 

Zebra Zensations refillable colored pencils are so fun! They're like mechanical pencils with thicker diameter colored sticks. They remind me of some pencils I loved in middle school. They are refillable, easy to use, and require no sharpening! 

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