Hop-A-Long Studio

The Art of Self-Care

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

Recent Posts

  • 3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!
    In Art Journal, Techniques
  • How to Make Collage Papers for FreeMake Gorgeous Collage Papers for Free
    In Techniques
  • How to Choose an Art Journal You’ll Love
    In Art Journal
  • How to fix disappearing napkin art with these simple steps
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    My Napkin Art is Disappearing! 3 Easy Ways to Recover Images

    April 28, 2023 /

    Do you ever run into your napkin art disappearing on your art journal pages? You may start with a beautiful background that would be perfect for napkins, but then your images disappear when you apply them! This is frustrating and can be very disappointing. But your project isn’t ruined! There are several ways that you can recover your disappearing napkin images on your art journal projects. 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. Why is my Napkin Art Disappearing? Napkin art is a beautiful addition to any art journal page as the napkin…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    May 1, 2026
    Valentines Art Journal Page

    Valentines Art Journal Page

    February 5, 2021
    Welcome to Hop-A-Long Studio

    Welcome to Hop-A-Long Studio

    April 22, 2019
  • Art Journal Backgrounds with Spray Paints and Inks
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Easy Art Journal Backgrounds with Spray Paints and Inks

    April 21, 2023 /

    Looking for a fast and easy art journal background? Try using acrylic spray paints and inks to create beautiful art journal backgrounds with ease. A blank page can feel so intimidating. By breaking up the art journal background this can be a great way to get your creative juices flowing. Today I’m sharing my favorite acrylic spray paints and inks and how I use them to create layered art journal backgrounds. 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. Adding Color with Spray Inks An easy way to add variety to your art journal…

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    Nadine Milton

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    My Experience with Therapy

    My Experience with Therapy

    October 9, 2020
    Watercolor Pigment Powders Brusho Crystal Colours, Lindy's Gang Magicals and Nuvo Shimmer Powders how to use on watercolor paper

    Watercolor Powders Demystified! You need to Try these!

    April 18, 2025
    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
  • Unique Pan Pastel Techniques with Watermark Ink Peony Project on Black Art Journal
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Unique Techniques using Pan Pastels with Watermark Ink

    April 2, 2023 /

    Looking for ways to create beautiful details with Pan Pastels? Using Pan Pastels with watermark ink is a very simple way to add in interesting textures and details to your Pan Pastel creations. You can use this technique with both black and white paper to create a variety of unique effects. 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. What is Watermark Ink? Watermark ink is a translucent ink used to make watermarks on papers or creative projects. When the ink is stamped onto the surface, it creates a mark slightly darker than the…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Art Tag using Scribble Stick Watercolor Technique and Brene Brown Quote on Vellum

    Scribble Sticks Watercolor Technique

    September 17, 2021
    Why art journal?

    Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters

    February 13, 2026
    Living in the Moment Art Journal Page Paint Tutorial

    Living in the Moment: An Art Journal Painting Tutorial on Denim

    August 27, 2021
  • Looking to Improve your Painting Skills? How to Paint a Tree with Ink using Yasutomo Traditional Chinese Ink Silver Black and Chinese & Watercolor Brushes
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Looking for an Easy Painting Exercise? How to Paint a Tree with Ink

    February 24, 2023 /

    Do you ever find yourself unsure of how to improve your painting skills? You may not know where to start and it may feel overwhelming. If that’s you, here’s a very simple project on how to paint a tree with ink that will help you improve your painting skills. As a creator, I sometimes go through times where I’m not feeling inspired. I can feel like I’m out of ideas or am uncertain on where to start with a project. When this happens, I tend to simplify my process as this can help get the creative juices flowing. For this project, you’ll need a piece of watercolor paper, ink and…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    June 26, 2020
    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 25, 2020
    Stamped Background Used for Greeting Card and Softcover Book using Stampers Anonymous Stamps and Pan Pastels

    Stamped Background for Moving Past a Creative Block

    August 6, 2021
  • How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors an Easy Art Journal Project
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors

    February 10, 2023 /

    Are you new to watercolor paints or have recently purchased a new set of watercolors? Watercolors are a wonderful medium but every new color or set of colors can take time to get used to. The colors may act differently than what you’re accustomed to, which can cause frustration. So how do you get comfortable with a new set of watercolors? I recently purchased a new set of Russian watercolor paints called White Nights at my local art store. I wanted to share with you my process and the exercises I use to get familiar with the paints and color combinations. We’ll be creating a simple watercolor painting in our…

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    Nadine Milton

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    3 Christmas Card Ideas Using One Die Cut Design with Brusho Crystal Colours and Nuvo Shimmer Powders

    3 Christmas Card Ideas Using One Die Cut Design

    November 11, 2022
    Art Journaling Project "How did I end up here?"

    Art Journaling Project “How did I end up here?”

    May 6, 2019
    Art Journal Textured Background Techniques with Acrylic Mediums

    Textured Background Techniques for the Art Journal

    March 11, 2022
  • Basic art journal techniques using acrylic paint and napkins
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    New to Art Journaling? Basic Techniques using Paints and Napkins

    January 27, 2023 /

    Are you new to art journaling? Or do you have a pristine art journal that you’re afraid to start creating in? The first few pages in an art journal can be hard. You may not feel like you know what you’re doing, or perhaps you’re struggling with what to create in your journal. Today we’re starting with a simple prompt and basic art journal techniques to get you started. 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. Starting with a Thought or Question Usually most of my art journal pages start with a thought…

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    Nadine Milton

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    4 lessons from start with why

    4 Lessons from Start With Why

    March 6, 2020
    Inspiration over Manipulation Art Journal Project

    Inspiration Over Manipulation Art Journal Project

    March 13, 2020
    Acrylic Paint Pouring Ornaments

    Easy and Beautiful Acrylic Paint Pouring Holiday Ornaments

    December 22, 2023
  • Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal Using Archival and Dye Inks
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal

    January 13, 2023 /

    Looking for creative ways to use ink techniques in your art journal? So often when we’re working in our art journal, we like to use acrylic mediums. But inks can also create amazing results in an art journal. The benefits of dye and archival inks is they are easily available, aren’t super messy, and have so much versatility as an art journal medium.   Earlier this week I was asked the question by a reader, “Can you use ink in a journal?” Yes, you absolutely can. Today we’ll look at several creative ink techniques for your art journal. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site,…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine Milton

    Make Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!

    December 19, 2025
    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    June 25, 2021
    How to use watercolor powders with stencils

    The Best Way to Use Watercolor Powders with Stencils

    April 26, 2025
  • Techniques for Creating Beautiful Layers with Alcohol Ink
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Techniques for Creating Beautiful Layers with Alcohol Inks

    December 16, 2022 /

    Alcohol inks are a beautiful and fun art medium, but how do you create layers and dimension with alcohol inks? This may seem difficult and complicated, but alcohol ink layering techniques are easy to do if you understand the right methods. I’ll be working on a page for my art journal, but these techniques can easily be adapted for card projects or tags too. 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. Creating Layers with Ink Blending For this project, start by choosing your favorite alcohol ink surface. My recommended surfaces for alcohol inks…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Gift Ideas for Artists

    The Best Gifts for Artists that Love Watercolor and Acrylic Paint

    November 5, 2022
    Guitar Card Using Watercolor Pencils and Wild Whisper Designs Feel the Beat Stamp Set

    How to use Watercolor Pencils

    January 15, 2021
    gel plate printing for beginners

    How to Start Gel Printing with Zero Experience

    May 3, 2025
  • Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages

    November 18, 2022 /

    Looking for foil alternatives for cards and art journal pages? There are household products that can work amazing on your art journal and card projects, at a fraction of the cost of craft foiling sheets. These techniques are a must know for any creative. Today we’ll go over a few different materials, the positive and negatives of each, and how you can add them to your creative projects. 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. Alternatives to Foil Cardstock Foil cardstock is an amazing option for creating mirrored surfaces, beautiful sentiments, and details…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Looking to Improve your Painting Skills? How to Paint a Tree with Ink using Yasutomo Traditional Chinese Ink Silver Black and Chinese & Watercolor Brushes

    Looking for an Easy Painting Exercise? How to Paint a Tree with Ink

    February 24, 2023
    Gelli Printing with Die Cuts

    Gelli Printing with Die Cuts

    February 26, 2021
    Which Pen To Choose? The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    October 29, 2021
  • Collage with Dried Leaves in Your Art Journal
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Collage with Dried Leaves in Your Journal

    October 21, 2022 /

    Have you ever tried collage with dried leaves in your art journal? Dried leaves can be a hard medium to use because they can crack and disintegrate in your project. But by using a few simple techniques, you can preserve your leaves and create a beautiful, layered autumn art journal project. 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. How to Prevent Dried Leaves from Falling Apart The hardest thing about using dried leaves in your art journal is preventing them from falling apart. Especially with collage, if you use a thick gel medium…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    3 Lessons I Learned from Daring Greatly

    3 Lessons I Learned from Daring Greatly

    April 10, 2020
    Alcohol Ink Christmas Ornaments

    Fun and Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Ornaments

    December 10, 2021
    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    December 4, 2020
12345

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.

Categories

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  • Art Journal
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Tags

Acceptance (10) acrylic paint (16) Acrylic Painting (17) Applying Art Mediums (14) Applying Brusho Powders (10) Art Ideas (22) art journal (20) Art Journaling (62) Art Tutorials (156) Art Videos (163) Awareness (19) Blending Color (22) Card Making (16) Card Tutorials (11) Christmas (9) collage (20) Creative Foundations (24) Creativity (29) Drawing (12) Embossing (11) Gelli Plate (10) Gelli Printing (21) Goal Setting (9) Ink Blending (13) Inking (42) Inks (11) Making Good Choices (12) Mental Health (32) Mindfulness (24) Mixed Media (15) Mixed Media Art (16) napkins (9) Pan Pastels (9) Self-Care (47) Self-Care Activities (16) Self-Care Videos (33) Self-Discovery (14) Stamping (62) Stencilling (48) Tim Holtz Distress (23) Values (9) Watercolor (14) Watercolor Basics (13) Watercolor Painting (19) Wild Whisper Designs (21)

Recent Posts

  • 3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!
    In Art Journal, Techniques
  • How to Make Collage Papers for FreeMake Gorgeous Collage Papers for Free
    In Techniques
  • How to Choose an Art Journal You’ll Love
    In Art Journal
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