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Wild and Wonderful Art Journal Papers: An Exploration into Japanese Paper
There are so many unique art journal papers that I like to use in my creative projects and Japanese paper is one of my favorites. As much as I love my paints and mediums, I get just as excited about good quality paper. Using Japanese paper in collage and creative projects can add unique designs and textures to your pages. Today I’d like to share with you why I love Japanese paper and why you might want to try these unique art journal papers on your next project. Why Use Japanese Paper? If you want to create a unique look on your next art journaling project, try Japanese paper. This…
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Creating Mixed Media Tissue Paper
If you are looking to personalize your art journal projects, creating mixed media tissue paper is a fun way to get unique colors and textures. Creating mixed media tissue paper is easy and only requires a few materials. In this tutorial I will share with you three different techniques for getting a variety of different textures with mixed media tissue paper. What Type of Tissue Paper to Use? There are a variety of tissue papers that you can use for this technique. From tissue paper used for gift wrapping to acid-free tissue paper used for protecting and storing works of art. I am using acid-free, PH neutral tissue paper but…
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Art Journaling with Tissue Paper Collage
Tissue paper collage is a fun way to add layers and textures to your art journal pages. You can get a variety of printed tissue papers or purchase plain tissue paper to alter with inks, stamps and paints. The possibilities for tissue paper collage are endless and it’s a great way of personalizing your journal. For today’s project and tutorial I am using Dina Wakley collage tissue paper. The papers are printed in both black and white which provides versatility on how you can apply them in your projects. Why Use Tissue Paper? I love tissue paper collage because of the translucent quality of the medium. It can be layered…
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Art Journaling with Napkins
Have you ever tried adding napkins to your art journal? Art journaling with napkins is such a fun and easy technique to add pattern and design to your page. Especially if you are new to art journaling, this is an easy technique to get you creating full pages in no time! Today we will be discussing what napkins to use and how to prepare them for use in your art journal. I will also demonstrate how to attach the napkins and different techniques for creating napkin art in your journal. Why Napkins? Why would you start art journaling with paper napkins? Because they are an easy way to add…
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Loosen Up with Contour Drawing and Painterly Effects
Do you ever struggle with drawing and getting overwhelmed by the details? Contour drawing is a great way to loosen up your drawing practice. Today I will share with you how to create a contour drawing and how to create painterly effects using watercolor paints. What is Contour Drawing? Contour drawing is the practice of drawing an outline of the subject using one continuous line. When contour drawing you do not take your pen off the page as you draw. The benefit of contour drawing is that it defines the basic shape by creating a line drawing. If you tend to get stuck in the details when drawing, this technique…
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(SM)ART Goals: Starting and Developing Your Creative Goals
As today is the last day of 2021, many of us are thinking about our goals for the coming year. When choosing goals, many of us don’t include our creative goals. We may see it as something fun and frivolous to be slotted in between the practical demands of our lives. Today I wanted to share with you how I set my creative goals for the year and how we can use SMART goals for starting and developing our creative practice. What are SMART Goals? If you haven’t heard about SMART goals, it is an acronym to help you set goals in a way that makes them achievable to reach.…
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Hoppy Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio
It’s hard to believe that another year has come and gone. I wanted to take a moment to wish you a Hoppy Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio! All puns aside, I hope that you have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Whether you are alone or with family over the holidays, I hope that this time brings with it peace, happiness, and many beautiful memories. Thank you for those who have been following me on my website and on YouTube. Your support means so much to me and thank you for following along! I am currently working on my plan for 2022. I’m very excited to share projects…
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Mixed Media Art Journal Collage: Finding Intention at Christmas
An art journal technique I love to use in my pages is mixed media art journal collage. I love mixing a variety of paper types and designs to create a unique look to my art journal pages. Today I am sharing a Christmas art journal page using collage, watercolor, and acrylic paints. This page is about finding intention during the Christmas season. Finding Intention at Christmas I believe that every art journal page needs to start with an intention. That intention may be trying out a product or a technique. It may be based on an idea or a quote that you want to explore. This week’s art journal…
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Fun and Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Ornaments
One of my favorite things to do during the holiday season is to stretch my creativity. This year my new creative challenge is to create alcohol ink Christmas ornaments using clear plastic and glass bulbs. Over the last week I’ve been playing around with this technique with a variety of results. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission at no cost to you. Learn more. Learning New Techniques I love learning new techniques or different ways to use products that I already own, like alcohol inks. I enjoy the challenge of figuring out how to make it work and I…
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Deco Foil Christmas Card “Merry and Bright”
One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is making beautiful Christmas cards. The technique that I am sharing today is how to make a Deco Foil Christmas card that uses patterned paper, Deco Foil transfer sheets and the Deco Foil adhesive pen. Mastering Deco Foil I love Deco Foil. This is a fun medium that you can get beautiful results with. But I find so many of the videos and projects I see only show the perfect results. Deco Foil is fairly easy to use, but there are times when I don’t always get a perfect foil transfer. Mastering Deco Foil takes practice and a bit of patience.…
The Art of Self-Care
