Why not take her to a paint-your-own pottery studio like this one in Portland? You could create a beautiful flower pot together, and she could then nurture a plant for ages afterward!

Art supplies are always great!

I couldn’t keep my daughter in enough pens and paints and pastels and drawing pads. lol

The ‘old fashioned’ Etch-a-sketch are still awesome!

Play doh fun factories are great for that age as well, or the Fimo clays, regular modeling clay or some greenware figurines to paint.

Or, maybe a combo gift..how about some art supplies AND a couple of passes to the local zoo?

You could take her to the children’s museum; They have art classes there. My daughter loved it. She’s 7 and loves art too.

Is there a “Painted Zebra” in Portland? It’s a place where you go to paint lots of different things that they have premade for you. Like plates, pottery, animal statues, etc. My mom used to take me there, and I loved it. :]

Go to the craft store they have tons of kits there for kids. You name it painting, jewelry making, clay molding, Like JoAnn fabrics or Michaels. She would love it.

I’m not sure if you have this in Portland. But when I was younger we had something called “Melted Bead Art” – here in New Zealand. We would buy them in single designs that we liked butterflies/angels and bead colours (included in packet) to arrange on it on a baking board at home, when we finished designing it would go into the oven and then once cooled down we would hang them from our bedroom window.
She might really like “Melted Bead Art” and it’s definitely not on the expensive side.

Maybe how-to craft books with supplys to make the things in them.

@Seek_Kolinahr‘s suggestion is just wonderful.

An artist easel would be a great gift for a budding artist. This one is a bit more than your target price, but you should be able to find one for $30.
http://www.amazon.com/Rose-Art-49162UT-2-Smart-Easel/dp/B000Q41VLM/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&s=toys-and-games&qid=1280757342&sr=8-16

Good call, @silvermoon! I had that as a kid and LOVED it. You can keep getting new shapes for the boards which keeps it interesting. I guess they’re called Perler beads. At seven she’s just old enough, and can even man the iron herself to melt them, with supervision of course.

A HOPSCOTCH TEE!! Super Cute and custome!! Brilliant Gift!

If you really want to get her something SHE would like instead of something YOU would like, the ultimate present is glow in the dark shaped rubber bands. Nothing else comes close.
http://www.handhelditems.com/glowindark-shaped-silicone-rubber-bands-pieces-combo-6packs-p-140805.html