#full disclosure it was this easy because it was an early Christmas gift from my SO

[cumbersome-apparatus]

NEW CHROMEBOOK!!!

It’s a refurbished Acer R11, and now that I have it, I CAN WRITE AGAIN. Holy shit.

Like... My stated motto about Material Possessions is “easy come, easy go, easy come again.” It comes from being a thrift store/flea market/yard sale junkie. Because most of my stuff is, for all intents and purposes access-wise, one-of-a-kind. So losing it sucks. But most of it was somewhere between $0-$20, so there isn’t much sunk-cost angst if I lose it, even if there is significant NEVER GONNA GET ANOTHER ONE angst involved. But I also always know that, for the price of $0-$20, there’s a good chance that I’ll stumble upon the missing thing again, or at least something that makes me just as happy in the same ways, or maybe something even better.

The same thing applies to things I made myself. Sure, THAT span of labor is lost, but, since I’m somewhat proficient in multiple crafts, I’m basically a Good Shit Machine. I can’t make the same thing twice, but I can make something similar, and I can make something even better!

...And yeah, this does bleed over into things I bought new. In no small part because I can make or thrift something even cooler in the span of 1 day-6 months, depending on what it is and if I’m buying or making.

BUT.

If a writer finds her Expensive Writing Box stolen, THAT IS KIND OF A THING. I’m sure I could learn to construct a Chromebook-like device, but probably not as cheaply as I could construct, say, a piece of jewelry, a pair of knitted armwarmers, or some whimsically customized pants. Which is darkly hilarious, because I usually need to write in much shorter order than I need to interact with any specific object that I may or may not use.

ANYWAY.

NEW CHROMEBOOK.

It is sweet. It’s just slightly larger than my old one, which was just slightly too small. Writing this post tells me that the keyboard is excellent. I want to buy a skin for it, and then decorate it with the same kind of Steven Universe stickers I stuck on the last one. (I collected the dogtags they came with and still have some! Past tense because I haven’t seen them around in a while and they might not be doing those anymore.) Ooh, and I can also use the Lisa Frank ones I have a big book of because it was cheap with Amazon Prime!

...So I guess I’m going back to being the person loitering in the cafe/fast food place with the laptop covered in bright cartoony stickers, who people probably don’t assume is drinking jet-black coffee and writing hideous gore.

“Easy come, easy go, easy come again,” I guess.

[chemicalpink]

Power and Control ♡ Jung Hoseok

Pairing: Jung Hoseok x reader

Genre: smut, angsty

Word Count: 3.4k

Warnings: Sugar baby themes, power dynamics outside the bedroom, unprotected sex 

Summary: Women and men we are the same but love will always be a game and I’m gonna make you fall.

A/N: Well this was a stubborn one. Like seriously took me a whole month to try and write Hoseok as a villan-y character and at the end... i kinda failed BUT I really liked this one. Thanks for waiting. I hope you are doing great with life aside from all that is going one. Take care. I hope you like this one! 

Hoseok wouldn’t dare to try and label what you and he had as conventional, hell, he wouldn’t even dare to try and label himself as conventional, quite the contrary, because really, what’s a broke college-graduate-to-be got to do when a beautiful, empowered woman like yourself is seeking out a sugar baby deal? Say no? He would have to be stupid, plus, it’s not like you two are 10 or so years apart, you’re just 2 years older than him; plus, the deal was simple enough, apart from a disclosure contract and a few sessions of experimenting what you two liked with each other, it had been easy enough to fall into a routine.

Said routine meaning two to three sessions a week, some weekends together and playing as arm candy in most of your business parties, to which he would then find his semester’s tuition fee paid off, the latest limited-edition Supreme collection on his college dorm and one time, an all-included vacation to Europe for Christmas.

As time went on, nearly a year into it, it had become harder and harder to keep coming up with excuses as to how exactly he was being able to afford such a luxurious way of living without it being apparent that he had worked for it, especially when his closed group of friends were clearly struggling with it all (he might have asked you once to pay for Namjoon’s tuition fee after he got injured and couldn’t work for the month, the guy so in the clouds hadn’t even noticed the debt gone), and you know, Jung Hoseok isn’t a man with fragile masculinity, he knows exactly who he is, so even if for him being a sugar baby was really no big deal, the constant assumption of sugar babies having daddy/mommy issues sure was in the back of his mind every time he so much as the thought of sharing his lifestyle with his friends crossed his mind (cause he did not have daddy/mommy issues, thank you very much).

“Hobi, this just got here for you, I thought we had talked about your shopping addiction?”  Namjoon said as he passed him by on his way out the kitchen, coffee mug in hand, small package on the other, placing it on the kitchen counter before turning to look at him. Hoseok so much as fake laughed his worst laugh trying (and most probably failing) to not make his roommate any more suspicious. 

See, the greatest excuse for the time being all those months ago, when you had started gifting him stuff and sending it to his dorm, was saying that he ‘might have developed an addiction to online shopping’. He had talked it out with you, and you agreed to start delivering the gifts on your sessions. Hoseok hummed while taking the package from the counter “I just- I had this coupon and I had to use it” Namjoon wasn’t even paying attention to him anymore, he could clearly not have said a thing.

“Hey, hyungs would you mind if I-OH MY FUCKING GOD IS THAT BOX FROM THE NEWEST CHANEL COLLECTION???” Taehyung was… quite a melodramatic man when it came down to his expertise: fashion; which was one of the reasons Hoseok could kind of breathe around his own home. Namjoon didn’t know shit about fashion. But Taehyung would a hundred percent not fall into his ‘I got a coupon’ facade for a split second. His throat ached to instinctevely deny the younger’s claim but he knew it would do no good. Hoseok had once committed the deadly mistake of wearing one of the perfumes you had gifted him for his birthday to one of their nights out and that man right there, Kim Taehyung, had known from a sniff that he was wearing a thousand dollars Paco Rabanne Luxe Edition 1 million 18 carats. How exactly? He wouldn’t dare to ask. Taehyung knew his fashion. But the night didn’t seem to come to an end soon enough with his friend’s questioning. “Hoseok-hyung, how did you get access to one of the most exclusive collection previews of the world? I mean, I’m all for Gucci, but go off I guess”

So they are talking about it. May the gods have mercy on his unable to lie for his life soul.

“It was a gift from uh- my distant rich- auntie?” both Taehyung and Namjoon turned to look at him in the most sceptical way possible, but soon went back to their conversation.

He was going to have the talk with you later, for the second time. As if on cue, his phone dinged with a text from you, very out of character, if he may add, you two kept it on the line of the contract that bound the two of you, no texting, no calls, no nothing. He was busy with school most of the time and you were probably busier with your business stuff anyways.

From: Y/N [12:38]

You got my gift?

To: Y/N [12:38]

Yeah. Now apparently I have a rich distant auntie that is sending me expensive af gifts.

To: Y/N [12:39]

But then again, who am I to complain, right?

From: Y/N [12:43]

Great. Wear it tonight. 10 pm sharp. Long day.

Over the course of the months with you, he had learnt quite a few things about himself, first, he had an expensive taste, he just couldn’t afford it. Second, you knew his love language was being gifted things, and lord, did you take advantage of that to keep him wrapped around your finger. Third, he always felt as if you had come to know him inside and out so clearly, you had come to read him like an open book but he couldn’t say the same. You were a reserved woman, he knew that. With your position and all, it made sense. But he was just as cold to people he wasn’t close with, so he had to have some upper hand at it. Even after spending days on researching you he always came empty-handed. Sure, you two fucked, kissed, hanged out, but there was just this sense of chemistry lacking as if you two melted together when naked but once the fog cleared, it became a constant battle to gain control over the other. You had gifts to win him over. He had his charm and amazing bedroom skills to keep you grounded. You made it work. Kind of.

He arrived at your place a few minutes before 10, making himself a drink at the sky bar in the middle of your living room as he stared outside the floor-length window to watch Seoul’s night sky and lighted ground of the busy city, your heels clicking on the floor when you entered the space.

“Oh you got here early?” he turned around to watch you dispose of your jewellery in the entrance table, stealing glances at him every few seconds “I didn’t think you would actually listen to me and wear it, do you like it?

Hoseok lifted the glass to his lips to sip the alcohol. The poorly lit room brought a new light to you that deep down he had known for a while but he wasn’t willing to accept, the tiredness behind your eyes luring him in, making him imagine for a second that the setting was much more domestic than what it really was “Got off classes early and yeah, it does the job, thanks”

You made your way to the bar to fix yourself a drink, all the while he couldn’t stop staring at you, the imposing aura you always exuded sending shivers down his spine, his mind racing. He could already picture you bent over the couch for him as you took a seat and waved him over.

He couldn’t even begin to comprehend how much time went by when your lips found his, your dress riding up your thighs when you moved to straddle him, hands finding your ass, tongues fired up with evident desire as you ground down on his hard length “You texted me first today” you broke away from the kiss to look at him funnily, for the first time in the almost a year knowing you, he could see the slightest of vulnerability in your eyes, fondness, for him. So after all, you were wrapped around his finger “Are you falling in love with me, miss Y/N?” 

Your answer was very much in character, sucking his jawline while your hands worked their way down his pants to free his cock, stroking him a few time to bring it to a full length, his head throwing back into the couch in pleasure as you retorted teasingly “Think you’re going to break my heart, Hobi?” 

He knew then that your favourite game had begun. A constant game of tug and pull to lead the sex that had become a routine for both of you.

He had somehow worked his way under your dress at the same time as he pushed his pants to his ankles and removed them, giving your clothed core just the right amount of friction you were seeking and providing him with the perfect moment to flip you both over on the small space, a smirk taking over his factions “You might be good looking baby, but you’re not a piece of art”

“God I need you so much right now” you whispered at him, before tracing the expanse of his back under his newly bought sweater, distracting him enough for you to take his place on top, aching core approaching his face as his smile didn’t seem to get any bigger “Dinner’s served”

“My favourite,” he said before beginning to suck on the inside of your thighs, working his way to where you needed him the most, hot tongue wetting your already drenching panties for a few seconds before he pushed the cloth aside and gripped you even closer to his face, teeth nibbling at your folds teasingly, drawing a loud moan out of you, walls instinctively clenching as his tongue traced you whole, lewd noises filling up the room, subtly grinding up to him as he traced circles on your clit before eating you out once again, up until your thighs started trembling against his head, yours thrown back in ecstasy at the pleasure. His face glistening with your juices once you let him take control over the situation.

Hoseok’s deft fingers rid you of both of your remaining pieces of clothings as you tried to catch your breath, fully aware of what was about to go on after you had your fun with him. Your exposed skin hits the coldness of the floor as Hoseok rolled both of you down the couch, making you shiver as a smile is plastered in the younger’s face; you close your eyes for a split second, not needing to know that for the time being, Hoseok was pumping his hard cock to ready himself for you, small fluttering kisses adorning the space just below your neck as he approaches your ear silently “I was thinking… a Tesla would be a great combo with my brand new Chanel collection, you know?”

A small laugh leaves your lips before you open your eyes to see him hovering above you, eyes  travelling your face, a few strands of hair covering his “You are not sweet talking me into buying you a Tesla, Hoseok”

“I was thinking more of fucking it out of you” it is then that he enters you in a swift thrust, letting you adjust for a few seconds before moving experimentally at the new angle for both of you that was your living room floor, his hand coming up to place your right leg over his shoulder, gaining him better access to have you whimpering below him, just the way he liked. Long, skilled fingers caress your clit as he keeps a steady rhythm inside of you, feeling the warmth enveloping him and your walls clench around him as he speeds up his pace on your nerve bundle.

“Oh g-Hoseok I’m gonna cum” your voice is strained and he feels it as the opportunity to wreck you harder, the movement of his hips hitting all the right spots within you, he can feel your leg cramping on his shoulder as a wave of pleasure hits you and he has half a mind to pull out and release himself on your stomach, both of you breathing heavily as the need starts to fade and it all comes to an end. 

You see, if you asked any of Hoseok’s close friends, they would describe him as pure sunshine, and he was, kinda, at least for the most part of his life, but he was also a man determined to get what he wanted in life, which was why, he was currently pondering his next move. After your little session at your living room floor/couch, he had felt a shift in the air, a longing between the two of you, and that only went on for the next few weeks as you would drop your cold facade and text him small things, as he kept on receiving packages at his dorm (without Tae or Joon knowing, thank fuck) and he had found himself thinking about you non-stop. It was pretty obvious, and if someone had known about your existence, they might have pointed it out, cause it was so obvious even for himself, that the tug and pull game of yours, had made you both fall for the other somehow. Which really, wouldn’t be a problem if it wasn’t for that shitty paragraph on your contract that seems to keep replaying itself inside his mind. If you started becoming too familiar with each other, you would revoke the contract. He had agreed and signed it, thinking that it is just too weird for someone to grow acostumed to another if they just fuck and leave afterwards, but apparently somewhere he went wrong. And he clearly needed the money. You had yet to come to realise your newly found dynamics so he was living on borrowed time. And he had to act quickly.

Hoseok wasn’t really a strategic man, but luck always seemed to be on his side, so it took a mere week to come up with something. He had been visiting the hospital where his sister worked (per his mother’s request) just hanging out, which probably wasn’t even allowed to, but Jiwoo had insisted to wait for her lunch break as it was a slow day anyway. So he did.

“You’ve never told me how you paid off your tuition without dad’s help, Hobi” his sister commented as she went through some papers on her desk. His mind crashed. Error 404. Flee the country. It is one thing lying to his friends about his way of living, a completely different story when family starts asking.

“Oh I’m a- personal assistant of some CEO” he answered, turning to look the other way towards the entrance, almost nonchalantly, but life liked to have fun with him, so of course just as he is trying his best to keep you out of his mind, you had to be walking right through the door, not as outstanding as he is used to see you, but the aura you exude that is so uniquely yours is unable to miss out. You two didn’t talk on personal life, but he had researched you over the months, trying (and failing) to gain some type of useless power over you. It seemed like whatever wasn’t business, wasn’t you. So he had to play dumb.

“Who 's that?” he asked his sister, just as you were rounding the corner, Jiwoo turning to look at your disappearing figure

“Oh, that’s Y/N”

“Y/N like Y/N Y/L/N? the CEO?” the idea of maybe getting into acting and winning an Oscar crossed his mind, his sister hummed in thought

“I guess, Y/N is quite an unusual name right?” she resumed whatever she was doing before adding “But this girl couldn’t be her, she comes to visit her sister religiously every Friday”

“Is she sick?” so your cold uncaring demeanor was really just a front you put up for people.

“You’re starting to sound like a pervert, Hoseok”

He really wishes he could say he dropped the whole sick sister thing after that day, but the longer he thought about that, the cleared it was for him that if he was looking for an upper hand for you not to drop him out of the whole money deal once you realised you had both infringed the contract that brought you two together, this was it. He had immense self-confidence, if he said so himself. But there was something about going against you that wasn’t exactly easy to warm up to. He tried several times to come up with a plan but came empty-handed so he guessed he would just have to go with the flow. 

“You’re so wet already” he grunted as you felt his member teasing your entrance, his hand gripping your hair to bring you to face the mirror beside your bed. Hoseok had decided to drop by after he knew you were done with work, taking you by surprise at the unscheduled session, but then again, who were you to complain about the man, who in less than five minutes and some lazy kissing on your bed had both of you riled up and on all fours at his complete mercy “We’ve got some things to talk about, Y/N” 

You tried to turn your face to look at him directly instead of the mirror but he just tightened his grip as he thrusted forward forcefully, making you grip your sheets tighter attempting not to tumble over, a pleasurable sting on your scalp “I’m listening”

“Friday. Lunchtime, what exactly were you doing at the hospital?” he asked and could already feel your though exterior crumble, he just had to hope that whatever big secret it was having a sick little sister was enough for him to keep the upper hand in the situation.

Just as fast as that surprised look had appeared on your face, it was replaced with determination in your eyes as you pressed yourself back onto him, purposely clenching around him in the way you knew drove him crazy “Maybe I’ll talk. If you fuck me hard enough”

So he did.

“So what do you want in exchange for keeping my Friday’s whereabouts a secret?” you asked as his clothes were thrown at him

This was it. “I want my full tuition paid off before you call it quits on us”

You turned to look at him, laughing a little “Hoseok, a human vulnerability doesn’t mean that I am weak” you made your way to the bathroom “You’ll have to work harder for it”

Each day that went by was filled with dread of having his whole lifestyle crumbling down in a second, it had been so long since he had even so much as heard about you. Until he wouldn’t stop hearing about you (kind of) He remembers waking up to a 5am text from you telling him that he couldn’t have peace without a war, but if he was being completely honest, he was kind of asleep at the time so he couldn’t comprehend half of it. But it all became clearer when his phone started blowing up with texts, from Taehyung and Namjoon, to his sister and his parents. Apparently, you had a very expensive shopping spree in his name, delivered especially with lots of love to every person that could, and most certainly would question how exactly he had the kind of money to afford the luxurious gifts that they were all receiving. 

From:Y/N [9:02]

You start at 10. 

To: Y/N [9:02]

Y/N What’s going on?

From: Y/N [9:05]

Welcome to the team, board member Jung Hoseok.

So perhaps you would always have the upper hand when it came to power and control of whatever it was you two were playing. You had no doubt and no obstacle to ruin his whole life. But he guesses that his upper hand is shown in the fact that he could keep you from doing just that.

[lukerhill]

My five favorite holiday decorating staples

Hey all! I'm hard at work continuing to get our home decorated for Christmas. I'm doing it early this year because Thanksgiving is later and because I don't want to stress about it at all after turkey day. When you're a decor blogger, there's some added stress to making your home pretty at the holidays -- I LOVE doing it, but this year I want to be done before December so I can spend the month sitting by the fire watching Christmas movies, drinking hot cocoa and eating bon bons. You know, how December always is in our heads. ;) Anyway, as I've been decorating I realized there are a few staples I use every year that I could not do without! They are my go-to's and I use them all over the house in many ways. When it comes to the decor there are three items I use in various ways:

greenery picks to add fullness and a deep green

berry picks for a pop of color and dimension

larger items like pine cones and ornaments to fill in empty spots 

I use them everywhere! Tucked into garland, containers and even trees. They add that little extra something for very little money. 

This post may contain affiliate links for your convenience. 

See my policies and disclosure page for more information.

The greenery picks are typically pretty cheap at craft stores, but I find it's even cheaper to cut them down off of longer garland. You'll just need some wire cutters to cut them into smaller sections. It's way easier to use them in smaller increments when just putting them here and there for fullness. 

My favorite place to find the berries is Hobby Lobby -- each one is only $1 on sale. And the pine cones can be purchased in bags or you can go foraging for them outside! (Just make sure you clean them before using!) 

I decided this year I'm going to do less decorating EVERYWHERE and more decorating in specific places, if that makes sense. So I went all in with the mantel, for example. I also added a bunch of the berries and greenery to our garland on the stairs: 

I usually use real greenery on the stairs, but it is SO messy when it's time to take it down. I found this cedar garland at Target that looks so real! It's the best price I've seen for something so realistic. 

The other staples I use all over the house are more on the hardware side of things -- the 3M hooks and metal cup hooks: 

I use the cup hooks for the garland on the stair railings -- I screw them in underneath to hold the greenery: 

These are so small, you don't even notice the hole the rest of the year. It's easy to screw them back in the next year as well! I also use them around the front door if I hang garland there. 

I use the 3M hooks on our mantel to hold the beaded garland, and I went ahead and hung our stockings from them as well for now: 

I have these metal stocking clips for the mantel that I'll use eventually, but I haven't found them in the storage boxes just yet. ;) 

I also use the 3M hooks on our windows for the exterior of the house. For these I like to use these exterior Command strips specifically -- they're made to hold up to the elements:  

If you use the Command strips and ever have a problem with them not coming off cleanly, this 3M hook removal trick of mine works every time! :) These five staples make my holiday decorating go much smoother and make everything full and beautiful!:

The best part is, they work just about anywhere. Greenery, a pop of color and some natural elements are all you need to create a lovely holiday home:

Remember the DIY Christmas gift art I shared last week? Aren't they too cute on my do-it-yourself picture ledges? I just love them here! Do you have any go-to's when it comes to decorating your home for the holidays? I couldn't do it without these five items. :) See more of our home here. To shop items in our home, click here! Never miss a post by signing up to get posts via email. 

This content is property of Thrifty Decor Chick LLC. If you are reading this on any other site other than https://ift.tt/1kRxOJ2 or one of her social media platforms, please contact her immediately (thriftydecorchick at gmail dot com). Any other use of this content is strictly forbidden.

[theartgearguide]

Affordable Christmas Gifts For The Artist In Your Life

Affordable Christmas Gifts For The Artist In Your Life

Its that time of year again and we are all scrambling about to get our friends and loved ones the perfect gift, however, for our fellow creative ones, it is difficult to find the perfect affordable gift, with affordability the keyword in this instance. We want to get beautiful gifts that are actually going to be used and loved by the recipient, whilst trying to maintain a reasonable budget. 

Here is a list of 18 gifts I have mustered together hoping to give you a helping hand in choosing the perfect gift and if you don't fancy any of the gifts in the list, it may still spark some inspiration within you to go on and find that perfect gift. Or you may have been given your Christmas bonus early and just fancy treating yourself because you deserve to be pampered.

In the interest of full disclosure, all of the items below with the exception of one or two are linked to Amazon via my Amazon associate links. This does not cost you any money whatsoever, however, if you purchase via the links, The Art Gear Guide will receive a percentage from Amazon. I feel it is important to always be honest and transparent on matters such as this and if you'd rather not purchase via the links provided you can still search Amazon for the same items. 

Derwent ProColour 24 Set And Pencil Wrap 

As with a lot of these gift ideas, I have personally removed most of them, the ones I have personally reviews I will provide a link back to the review should you wish to discover more about the product before purchasing. 

This set from Derwent is a really beautiful and excellently priced set of their newest fantastic ProColour coloured pencils, 24 to be exact and along with the pencils is the ever popular Derwent Pencil Wrap. The canvas and leather wrap in total holds 30 pencils and once inserted the wrap rolls up into an easy to carry storage device for your pencils whilst protecting them. 

This set costs £32.99 and then delivery prices will vary depending on where you live, so make sure you check out the postage before purchasing. 

Pentel Water Brush Pen Set

For the watercolor enthusiast in your life, this excellent Pentel water brush set is an excellent affordable gift. I think the Pentel brush pens are among the most common water brushes used and with good reason. They sit well in the hand, do not leak, apply water to your painting with ease and the brushes are really nice quality. 

This Pentel water brush set will only cost you £7.20, as with all of these gift ideas, postage may apply depending on where you live and which service you opt for.  

Koh-I-Noor Polycolor 36 Set 

If you have a loved one or friend who has either expressed an interest in colored pencil art or perhaps has just got started and has not yet a full set of pencils, this may be the perfect gift for you. 

Koh-I-Noor is an absolutely excellent pencil, incredibly affordable prices but without sacrificing artist quality pencils and pigments. My review of the Polycolor pencils can been found at this link, however I always recommend getting the largest set of pencils you can as mixing and blending colors is not like mixing and blending paints. However, if you are unable or reluctant to buy a massive 120 or 72 set of pencils, I always recommend getting at least a 36 set, allowing the artist at least three grades of each prominent color, a light, mid tone and dark. 

This 36 set of Koh-I-Noor Polycolor will only cost £19.42, plus delivery depending on your location and the service you choose.  

Derwent Pencil Buddy 

This is a really simple little gadget, but incredibly effective and helpful for any colored pencil artist. The Derwent Pencil Buddy sits on the artists desk and holds pencils or pens in a safe and easily accessible manner. The pencils will not fall out or clink together, nor will they clatter as pencils do when you drop them into a jar, thus potentially shattering the core. 

The Derwent Pencil buddy looks really nice, not out of place on a desk. I have also reviewed this item should you wish to see the buddy in action and the material which holds the pencils in place. This awesome little gift will only cost you

Kuretake Gansai Tambi Watercolor 18 Pans

I personally love playing about with watercolors and the effects and art work that can be achieve with a nice set of watercolors can be phenomenal. 

If anyone you know is into watercolor or looking to try some watercolor, I have chose this set as they are something different, not the a typical watercolor set that you might give to a beginner to watercolor. Having said all that, the colors are so beautiful and when activated with water the magic starts. The Kuretake Gansai Tambi are a Japanese set and for 18 pans will cost you £11.35 which I think is excellent given their quality. I have a slightly larger set which I have used but I have not actually reviewed them yet.  

Colored Pencil Painting Portraits by Alyona Nickelsen 

So what do you get the artist that has almost every art supply under the sun, well books are an excellent way to go. This book, "Colored Pencil Painting Portraits" by Alyona Nickelsen is aimed primarily at colored pencil portrait artists, however the information in this book is all encompassing when it comes to colored pencil tips and techniques. 

The good thing about this book is that although beginners to the world of colored pencil art would benefit hugely from it, even the most advanced colored pencil artist would love and use this book. Alyona herself is a highly regarded and respected colored pencil artist and what she doesn't know about the medium, is not worth knowing.

I have actually reviewed this book, I was incredibly fortunate and honoured to have been sent a digital copy before the book was released, for more on the book check out my review. On Amazon this outstanding reference guide to colored pencils for life will cost £21.34 and brighten the Christmas of whoever receives it.  

Derwent Pencil Wrap 

I have already showed this item off in this list, however it comes with a set of 24 ProColour, this time the Derwent Pencil Wrap is on its own as this item itself is an excellent affordable gift for any colored pencil enthusiast. 

As with the pencil buddy, there is not much to this particular gift, however, it is incredibly useful and looks good as well. The Derwent Pencil Wrap is a canvas rolled out length with leather trim for protection. Along the canvas length there are loops where the artist can safely place pens, pencils, erasers etc. 

Once the wrap is filled, and it can hold up to 30 pencils, it simply rolls up on itself and fastens with a leather strap, wrapped round the item and closed tight using a brass stud. It is an excellent way to keep all your supplies safe in one place and when in use outside the studio, your supplies will not get lost or damaged. The Derwent Wrap will cost £6.99, but even for this small amount of money, the friend or loved one who receives this will be over the moon. 

Tom Bow Graphite Pencils 

Buying supplies for an artist as a gift can be a daunting process as most artists are set in their ways, know what they love and love what they know. However, all artists love to try new supplies and of course a new budding artist needs all the supplies they can get their hands on. 

If the artist in your life loves using graphite, this beautiful set of Tom Bow Graphite pencils will be a joy of any artist to open and use on Christmas morning. Tom Bow is a really well known name in the art community and produce very high quality products. In this particular set the graphite ranges from 6B all the through to 4H, including F, B, H and HB.

I was fortunate enough to have a set of these pencils sent to me by a lovely lady from The Art Gear Guide community and I fell in love with them the second I started using them. The graphite is smooth and covers the paper beautifully. In this set you also get a Tom Bow Mono Smart eraser and a good quality sharpener, so an excellent set for a beginner. This set will cost you £13.36.

Bird Art by Alan Woollett

If drawing birds is your thing or the passion of the artist in your life, then this awesome book Bird Art by Alan Woollett is a must have and is sure to plaster a smile all day long on your friend or loved ones faced. 

Alan Woollett is a highly respected and loved colored pencil and graphite artist specialising particularly in birds. His work is simply breath taking and this book takes the artist through the step by step process of how Alan delivers his amazing work. This book is a remarkably generous price of £14.48

A4 Tracing Light Box

I came across this item on Amazon and thought it was an excellent price for what it is, ordinarily they are much more expensive, however this is an excellent price. This A4 size Light Box used for tracing is perfect for the artist just getting started. 

So many people say that tracing or using light boxes is cheating and shouldn't be used, however, if you actually talk to the professionals, the artists who hold classes and teach students, they will tell you that a light box is an excellent tool to aid in your drawing skills. This method will help your memory muscle and so eventually push you into drawing free hand, but to begin with, tools such as the light box are absolutely fine to use. At £15.29, I think whatever your stance on using a device like this it is too good a price to miss. 

Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils 12 Set 

If the artist in your life is looking to get into pastel painting or has dabbled a bit with this medium, you will not go wrong with the Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencil Set of 12. So many of the professional pastel artists that use pencils use the Stabilo Pastel Pencils and for good reason. 

Whilst the pastel pencils of Stabilo are more along the lines of chalk, these pencils are incredibly good at laying down color, the pigments are rich and vibrant, but the pencils themselves also feel good in the hand, well balanced and not too fragile. I personally love the Stabilo CarbOthello Pastel Pencils and for this set of 12, it will cost you £18.99, which may at first seem a bit pricey but you are dipping your feet into high quality supplies with these. 

Unison Soft Pastels 

Keeping with the pastel theme, if perhaps pastel pencils are not the gift you are after, how about these absolutely gorgeous Unison Soft Pastels. Every single pastel is hand made in the beautiful Cumbrian countryside here in the UK, delivering to the artist the most amazing quality pastel. 

I have added here one of the starter sets from Unison however on their site they have an absolutely amazing selection of colors available and some outstanding sets from starter like this one all the way up to the full range set. This set will cost you £28.99 for 16 half sticks, to see these wonderful pastels in action check out my YouTube video review.  

The Art Of Colored Pencil Drawing by Cynthia Knox

Another outstanding book for the colored pencil artist in your life and in particular someone just getting started. This wonderful book by the highly respected and loved Cynthia Knox, "The Art Of Colored Pencil Drawing," is perfect for those just getting started or wanted to learn more tips and techniques in this wonderful medium. 

This wonderful book will sit well in any artists collection of literature and will cost only

Faber Castell Polychromos Gift Box 36 Set

If you want to push the boat out and have a little bit more to spend, any colored pencil artist would absolutely love to get their hands on this 36 Gift Box Set of Faber Castell Polychromos. Almost all colored pencils artists use these pencils and love them.

Although this is perhaps the most expensive item in the list, these pencils really are the gift that will keep on giving to the artist in your life. For this beautiful 36 set it will only cost you £39.95 which I know may be more than your budget will allow but I had to include this set just incase. Check out my review of Faber Castell Polychromos pencils if you are unsure of their quality. 

Leather Sketch Journal 

With all these amazing art supplies, you are going to want a really nice sketch pad to draw in and I have found this beautiful Leather Sketch Journal that will make any artist feel special out and about sketching. This journal will only cost £25.95, however as you can see the detail on the leather is beautiful and is ket closed with a leather strap. 

Strathmore Watercolor Pad 

If on the other hand, watercolor is more your loved ones thing, this excellent watercolor art journal from Strathmore may be just the gift you are looking for. Strathmore are experts when it comes to art paper and their journals are no exception. This beautiful gift will cost £23.74 and allow the artist in your life to fill the pages with color and love. 

12 Colored Pencil Techniques by Cindy Wider

The last book in the list is another excellent book for the colored pencil artist who is just getting started with the medium. This excellent book by Cindy Wider "12 Colored Pencil Techniques" is an excellent reference for any colored pencil artist to have on hand. This was another book I reviewed just before it's release and know how fantastic the techniques are and how easy they are to follow. This wonderful book will cost you £22.87. 

Colored Pencil Magazine Subscription 

Last but by no means least, if you want to give your loved one a gift that keeps on giving all year round, check out the subscription packages for the ever popular COLORED PENCIL Magazine. I have only added a link to the site here and no prices simply because excellent deals are available at COLORED PENCIL Magazine .

At COLORED PENCIL Magazine, you have the option of either just a digital issue or having a paper issue being posted out to your home every month or both. Check out the deals at the links provided and see which option suits you best. 

Merry Christmas And Happy Holidays 

This was a simple list of 18 last minute Christmas Gifts for the artist loved one in your live or even if you have been given your Christmas bonus early and perhaps looking for a cheeky wee gift just for you because you are awesome and deserve to be cheered up.