Why I love gift cards -

Well, first of all, they're easy to store. Stick one into a thoughtful card, wrap it up in a really cute way, or wrap it in a small doodle. And if you get the general idea of what kinds of stores the person shops at but don't know what exactly to get them, get the store's gift card.

My dad got me a $50 Michaels Arts and Crafts gift card, and I received $100 worth of Target giftcards this Christmas. I was able to fly home not worrying about whether presents would fit in my carry-on bags or not (I'm not fond of checking bags).

There's a Michaels in Jupiter, Florida (where my parents are), and a Michaels here in Greenville. I haven't spent the Target cards yet, but since this is an art blog, I'll show you what I bought with the Michaels card. <3

First, I got 2 colors that I already had to replace the pencils that had become too short. $1.99 each


Then I got some loop-and-eye pins to help me make earrings (I already had hooks at home :)) $2.99


I've never owned a canvas before, so I bought two. It was only $5.99 for both of these, and they're about 16x22" each, I believe. Sales are awesome.


A set of 22 flat and round brushes with a pouch. :) This was $7.99 at the register, but the label said $4.99, so I had to take out some change since I had fully emptied my gift card. :p


All 6 Prismapencils that Michaels had that I didn't have in my set. :D (there are 132 colors total, and I have a 72 set). $1.99 each


A FAN BRUSH. I've always wanted one because they... well, look awesome. Maybe I can do something funky with this. :3 $2.99


Beads for detail on a dress that I'm making (which is a surprise!). $2.99 each


A size 005 Micron! I really needed one of these because I like drawing little teensy lines. I now have 7 micron pens total. <3 $2.99


And for safe art travel, my dad bought me a tube from the post office.

Well, now that I'm all excited about having art supplies, it's time for me to go use them. :3
Bottom line: Buy your loved ones gift cards if you don't know what to get them. I have NEVER been disappointed in any gift card that I've received. You'll always find something nice in a store. <3