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The Art of Self-Care

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  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT

Recent Posts

  • How to get past a creative block- try this amazing mixed media art journal page!Struggling with Creative Block? Try this Easy Art Journal Page!
    In Art Journal, Artist's Journey
  • gel plate printing with leaves and grassesUnique & Easy Gel Printing with Leaves and Grasses
    In Techniques
  • How to get the most textured collage in your art journalCreate the Ultimate Textured Collage with this Technique
    In Projects, Techniques
  • How Grid Drawing Can Improve Composition
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How Grid Drawing Can Improve Composition

    October 30, 2020 /

    As it is the month of Inktober, I wanted to share with you about how grid drawing can improve composition. I have spent a considerable amount of time this year working on my drawing and painting skills. One realization that I have had is how much I rely on grid drawing in my compositions for drawing and painting.   Learning to Draw As I have been learning to draw this year, I realize that sometimes I struggle with good composition and perspective in my drawing. I used to believe that I was really observant. The more I draw, the more I realize how my eyes sometimes play tricks on me.…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Mixed Media Shaker Card Using Distress Glazes, Brusho Crystal Colours and Wild Whisper Designs Paper and sequins

    How to Create a Mixed Media Shaker Card

    November 19, 2021
    Inspiration over Manipulation Art Journal Project

    Inspiration Over Manipulation Art Journal Project

    March 13, 2020
    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    December 4, 2020
  • How to Use a Dip Pen
    Techniques

    How to Use a Dip Pen

    October 23, 2020 /

    As this month is Inktober, I wanted to share with you about how to use a dip pen. Using a dip pen is one of the skills that I have learned this year and it has had a huge impact on how I draw and how I approach drawing. Using a Dip Pen With all the different pens out on the market, many of us think of dip pens as a tool only used in calligraphy. Since I started working with a dip pen, I have started to use it in many art mediums, especially in my art journal. In the video below, I demonstrate how I get good strokes,…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    How to Create a Traveler's Notebook

    How to Create a Traveler’s Notebook

    April 23, 2021
    Deco Foil Christmas Cards Merry and Bright

    Deco Foil Christmas Card “Merry and Bright”

    December 3, 2021
    4 lessons from start with why

    4 Lessons from Start With Why

    March 6, 2020
  • My Experience with Therapy
    Artist's Journey

    My Experience with Therapy

    October 9, 2020 /

    With World Mental Health Day coming up on October 10, I wanted to share about my experience with therapy in improving our mental health. There are some strange beliefs about therapy. Such as you only see a therapist when you are mentally ill or an emotional mess. I do not believe that this is true. I believe strongly in psychotherapy; it has done wonders for me in my life. My Biases towards Therapy I should start by saying that for many years I had a personal bias towards therapy. I believed that only mentally ill people or people seeking attention and drama went to see a therapist. Some of the…

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    Nadine Milton

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    moving past creative blocks by sketching in the garden Nadine Milton

    Feeling Stuck? 5 Ways for Moving Past Creative Blocks

    August 20, 2021
    Mixed Media Collage Using Paper, Acetate and Fabric Tape

    Mixed Media Collage Techniques You Need to Try!

    March 21, 2025
    Fall Leaf Card Project

    Fall Leaf Card Project

    November 6, 2020
  • Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness
    Artist's Journey

    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    October 7, 2020 /

    With Mental Illness Awareness Week occurring this week and with World Mental Health Day on October 10, I wanted to talk about misconceptions surrounding mental illness. Mental illness is an uncomfortable topic for many people. I find there are usually 3 reactions. The first is avoidance from those who are uncomfortable talking about it. The second is that of understanding about mental illness and these individuals are generally supportive. The last reaction is quietly admitting that they have been struggling with mental health and they want to talk about it more. Why Talk About Mental Illness Why talk about mental illness? My experience over the last few years has come…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Best Acrylic Paint Pens Paint Marker Comparison Hop-A-Long Studio

    The Best Acrylic Paint Pens: A Paint Marker Comparison

    July 9, 2021
    Scrapbooking Page Using Alcohol Inks with Stencils and Stamping

    Using Alcohol Inks with Stencils

    April 2, 2021
    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    August 28, 2020
  • Mental Illness Awareness Week
    Artist's Journey

    Mental Illness Awareness Week

    October 2, 2020 /

    With Mental Illness Awareness Week coming up next week I wanted to talk a bit about how we can make the most of this time. Perhaps mental illness is something that you don’t struggle with, but many people do. In my city, since the pandemic there have been a lot mental health issues. There have been more suicides, domestic violence and other mental health issues.   Mental illness is not an easy thing to talk about. I believe that it is a topic that is avoided in our society, something that should not be discussed. There is a lot of stigma regarding mental health and mental illness. But that does…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    How to Live Fearlessly During COVID-19

    How to Live Fearlessly During COVID-19

    March 20, 2020
    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    June 25, 2021
    How to Use a Dip Pen

    How to Use a Dip Pen

    October 23, 2020
  • When Things Don't Go According to Plan
    Artist's Journey

    When Things Don’t Go According to Plan

    September 25, 2020 /

    So what happens when things don’t go according to plan? I am having one of those weeks where my well laid plans have not worked out. My Plan I had planned to do a great video and article about Finding Locations for Urban Sketching and things have not worked out as I hoped. It has been a week full of technical issues. A malfunction with my microphone has cost me hours of video. The video card in my computer has died leaving me without access to video editing software. This is just the start of the problems I have been having this week.   As a content creator, I try…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Adding diamonds to diamond painting

    Everything You Need to Know About Diamond Painting

    August 31, 2024
    5 Napkin Hacks to Make Your Napkin Art Pop!

    5 Easy Hacks to Make Your Napkin Images POP!

    August 23, 2024
    Japanese Art Journal Papers

    Wild and Wonderful Art Journal Papers: An Exploration into Japanese Paper

    February 4, 2022
  • Urban Sketching for Self-Care
    Artist's Journey,  Techniques

    Urban Sketching for Self-Care

    September 18, 2020 /

    We all need activities to help with our self-care practice. I recently took up urban sketching for self-care and I’m finding it’s a great tool for exercising mindfulness. What is Urban Sketching? What is Urban Sketching? If you are not familiar with the practice, it is about drawing on location and sharing the stories of the places you live and travel. I started exploring Urban Sketching just over a year ago when I met the  Calgary Urban Sketcher group at a demo at Kensington Art Supply & Instruction in Calgary. At the demo I was able to meet the members of the group, browse their sketchbooks and talk to them…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Holiday Collage Reflecting on the Season

    Texture Tips for Your Holiday Collage| Reflecting on the Season

    December 18, 2023
    Creating an Art Journal Page Using Paper Glossy Accents and Distress Crayons

    Easy Art Journal Page Using Paper

    September 16, 2022
    Neurographic Art Blended with Pan Pastels

    Neurographic Art with Pan Pastels

    March 25, 2022
  • Art Journal Project: The Courage to Be Seen
    Art Journal,  Artist's Journey

    Having the Courage to be Seen

    September 12, 2020 /

    Have you ever had moments where having the courage to be seen is difficult? In my mindfulness practice this week I created this art journal project about how we can be brave in our lives and let ourselves be seen.  Having Courage Having courage is rarely easy. We may upset people that we care about. It might mean making some hard choices to let ourselves be seen. Having the courage to be seen requires us to choose what is important to us, what we believe and how we want to be seen in the world. Having the courage to be seen can be difficult. It can require hard conversations and…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Art Journal Project I'm Feeling Blue

    Art Journal Project “I’m Feeling Blue”

    January 20, 2020
    Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice Hop-A-Long Studio

    Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice

    May 27, 2022
    Circle Drawings Tools including Compass Helix Circle and Angle Maker and Helix Circle Ruler

    Choosing the Best Circle Tools for Drawing

    April 29, 2022
  • Objects that Encourage Your Self-Care Practice
    Techniques

    Objects that Encourage Your Self-Care Practice

    September 4, 2020 /

    Do you have objects that encourage your self-care practice? One of my favorite objects is the fountain pen. I love to write and journal so the pen is an important part of my self-care practice. I use the fountain pen not just in my journal, but also in creating art, so it is an important and versatile tool for my self-care. Why the Pen? I have a large assortment of pens. The fountain pen is one of my favorites, but there are many other pen styles that I enjoy. I love making pen and ink drawings and having a variety of pens adds variation to my mark making.  I love…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Stamping Tips and Techniques Stamping with Ink and Paint

    Stamping Tips and Techniques

    April 30, 2021
    Art Journal Page Using Distress Embossing Glazes, Stampers Anonymous Mod Cactus Stamps and Wild Whisper Designs Brush Script Stamp Set

    Distress Embossing Glaze Techniques for the Art Journal

    April 8, 2022
    Mixed Media Found Object Art Panel

    Mixed Media Found Object Art Panel

    May 28, 2021
  • Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images
    Projects,  Techniques

    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    August 28, 2020 /

    Today I wanted to share with you a way of adding your own art to stencil images. Many of us struggle with our drawing skills, so we often use stamps or stencils to help us create images that we are happy with. I was working on a scrapbook page recently and wanted a focal image that was larger than any of the stamps I owned. When I was looking for an image I found a stencil that was the correct size but it lacked the detail that I wanted for an image. The thought came to me, “Why not just add in the detail by adding in my own art…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    gel plate printing for beginners

    How to Start Gel Printing with Zero Experience

    May 3, 2025
    How to Make Gelli Prints

    How to Make Gelli Prints

    May 15, 2020
    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors an Easy Art Journal Project

    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors

    February 10, 2023
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Nadine Milton

Visual Storyteller & Mixed Media Artist

Welcome to Hop-A-Long Studio! I would love for you to join me in the journey of self-care through artistic expression.

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Acceptance (10) acrylic paint (16) Acrylic Painting (17) Applying Art Mediums (14) Applying Brusho Powders (10) Art Ideas (22) art journal (18) Art Journaling (61) Art Tutorials (156) Art Videos (163) Awareness (19) Blending Color (22) Card Making (16) Card Tutorials (11) Christmas (9) collage (17) Creative Foundations (24) Creativity (28) Drawing (12) Embossing (11) Gelli Plate (10) Gelli Printing (20) Goal Setting (9) Ink Blending (13) Inking (42) Inks (11) Making Good Choices (12) Mental Health (32) Mindfulness (24) Mixed Media (13) Mixed Media Art (16) napkins (9) Self-Care (47) Self-Care Activities (16) Self-Care Videos (33) Self-Discovery (14) Stamping (62) Stencilling (48) stencils (9) Tim Holtz Distress (23) Values (9) Watercolor (14) Watercolor Basics (13) Watercolor Painting (19) Wild Whisper Designs (21)

Recent Posts

  • How to get past a creative block- try this amazing mixed media art journal page!Struggling with Creative Block? Try this Easy Art Journal Page!
    In Art Journal, Artist's Journey
  • gel plate printing with leaves and grassesUnique & Easy Gel Printing with Leaves and Grasses
    In Techniques
  • How to get the most textured collage in your art journalCreate the Ultimate Textured Collage with this Technique
    In Projects, Techniques
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