Hop-A-Long Studio

The Art of Self-Care

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

Recent Posts

  • How to Choose an Art Journal You’ll Love
    In Art Journal
  • Why art journal?Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters
    In Projects
  • How to use Pan Pastels in an Art Journal Page to display your yearly intentionShow Your New Years Intention with Pan Pastels
    In Art Journal, Projects, Techniques
  • Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19
    Artist's Journey

    Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19

    April 3, 2020 /

    Building meaningful connection during COVID-19 has been the question coming to my mind lately. We could say that now that we are in close quarters with our family and loved ones, it would be easy to build connection. In reality, that’s not always the case. As I have been talking with friends about COVID-19 I’m noticing that the pressure of our new normal is starting to affect people, including myself. In the midst of the pressure of working from home, keeping kids entertained and completing school online, finding a new normal has been challenging for many of us. For those of us that cannot work from home or aren’t working…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Why art journal?

    Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters

    February 13, 2026
    How to Use Watercolors with Stencils

    How to use Watercolors with Stencils

    August 26, 2022
    How to Become Unoffendable and Live a Happier Life

    How to Become Unoffendable and Live a Happier Life

    July 24, 2020
  • How to Find Rest During COVID-19
    Artist's Journey

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 2020 /

    As I have been connecting with friends online this week, it has made me think about how to find rest during COVID-19. It is easy to say that since many of us are not working now that we are having a period of rest. I do not believe that is necessarily the case. Being a driven person, I have found that finding actual restorative time and learning how to rest is easier said than done. Busy for the Sake of Busyness It is easy to fall into being busy for the sake of busyness. The habit of always doing something and going somewhere is not an easy one to break.…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Art Journal Project Using Watercolor Paint and Distress Stains

    Art Journal Project Using Watercolor Paint and Distress Stains

    June 19, 2020
    Mixed Media Art Journal Page Summer Days

    Mixed Media Art Journal Page – Hot Summer Days

    August 13, 2021
    gel plate printing for beginners

    How to Start Gel Printing with Zero Experience

    May 3, 2025
  • How to Live Fearlessly During COVID-19
    Artist's Journey

    How to Live Fearlessly During COVID-19

    March 20, 2020 /

    As many of us are dealing with the recent pandemic it has made me consider how to live fearlessly during COVID-19. I believe that we do need be concerned about the coronavirus. We definitely need to take precautions, but how do we live fearlessly instead of letting fear and worry steal our joy? Fear Based Living It’s easy to fall into fear based living. There was a period in my life where it felt like fear was an all-consuming reality. I was fearful of so many things, including interacting with others. When we are living in fear it is easy to fall into victimhood. Instead of seeing the world as…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Preparing for a Pandemic Christmas

    Preparing for a Pandemic Christmas

    December 11, 2020
    Goal Setting During the Summer

    Goal Setting During the Summer

    July 10, 2020
    How to Create a Wine Bottle Vase Overall Project

    How to Create a Wine Bottle Flower Vase

    May 7, 2021
  • 4 lessons from start with why
    Artist's Journey

    4 Lessons from Start With Why

    March 6, 2020 /

    This week I wanted to share with you 4 lessons from “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. This book is part of my 2020 reading challenge, where I have chosen 12 books to read in 2020. I believe an important aspect to self-care is learning and seeing things from a new perspective. This book in particular has been very helpful for understanding my why, not just for this website but in my personal life. Why I Chose “Start with Why” Start with Why was a book recommended to me several years ago by a friend. It was also part of the recommended reading from my husband’s company. I had also…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Goal Setting During the Summer

    Goal Setting During the Summer

    July 10, 2020
    Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19

    Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19

    April 3, 2020
    Finding Creativity Through Art Journaling, Art Journal Books, mixed media books

    Finding Creativity Through Art Journaling

    November 19, 2019
  • Learning to Trust Ourselves
    Artist's Journey

    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    February 21, 2020 /

    The importance of trust, especially in learning to trust ourselves is a topic that has been coming to mind lately. Trust is not an easy thing to build and it can be damaged very quickly. So how do we learn how to trust others, and even more, how to trust ourselves? Building Trust Building trust sounds like an easy thing, but with trust really being part of our emotional being, how do we build trust that lasts? I’ve been reading “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek this month and I’ve been re-evaluating the way I look at trust. Building trust isn’t an easy thing, especially if you’ve had past trauma…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Do You have Ruined Paint Brushes? How to Fix Acrylic Paint Brushes

    Do You Have Ruined Paint Brushes? How to Fix Acrylic Paint Brushes in 3 Easy Steps!

    February 17, 2023
    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    September 16, 2023
    My first mixed media page in the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal

    My First Impressions of the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal

    March 14, 2025
  • 4 Things I Learned From Failing Forward
    Artist's Journey

    4 Things I Learned from Failing Forward

    February 7, 2020 /

    This week I wanted to share 4 things I learned from and about Failing Forward. If you’ve been following my blog for a while, you’ll know that one of my goals for this year was to read 12 books that would help my mental well-being this year. My goal is to read one book every month and to share my impressions with you. I decided to start with one of the more difficult concepts for me, the idea of failure. Failing Forward by John C. Maxwell was a very enlightening read for me. His insight and personal awareness of how many of us are not equipped to fail successfully is…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Inspiration over Manipulation Art Journal Project

    Inspiration Over Manipulation Art Journal Project

    March 13, 2020
    Painting in the Art Journal: Drawing Inspiration from Another Artist’s Style

    Painting in the Art Journal: Trying a New Style

    June 25, 2023
    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    July 1, 2022
  • How to Start a Self-Care Habit
    Artist's Journey

    How to Start a Self-Care Habit

    January 28, 2020 /

    How do we start a self-care habit? This seems like an easy question but it’s not so easy to answer. There is often talk of self-care and how we need self-care. The question is how do we apply it in a personal way to our lives? How do we reduce the “noise” in our lives enough to allow us to find personal self-care? What is Self-Care? According to the dictionary self- care is defined as “The practice of taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress.”  That sounds simple enough. Take an active role in protecting our health, well-being and happiness,…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    (SM)ART Goals for Artists

    (SM)ART Goals: Starting and Developing Your Creative Goals

    December 31, 2021
    Mixed Media Art Journal Page Summer Days

    Mixed Media Art Journal Page – Hot Summer Days

    August 13, 2021
    Completed Art Journal Project What You Focus on Grows

    Altering Paper on a Journal Page

    January 29, 2021
  • Blue Monday: Reasons to Hope
    Artist's Journey

    Blue Monday: Reasons to Hope

    January 19, 2020 /

    Tomorrow is the third Monday in January, also known as Blue Monday. This is considered one of the most depressing days of the year. How do we find reasons to hope and have joy on one of the most depressing days of the calendar? What about the other times that we feel depressed or sadness especially during the winter months? What is Blue Monday? Blue Monday was originally created by a public relations company. Using a rather unscientific formula, they determined why Blue Monday is one of the most depressing days of the year. The formula brings in factors of debt, weather, time since Christmas, time since failing New Year’s…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Nadine Milton Sketching in Kelowna Japanese Garden

    Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

    August 13, 2022
    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
    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    February 21, 2020
  • 12 books to read in 2020
    Artist's Journey

    12 Books to Read in 2020

    January 7, 2020 /

    January has come very quickly and many of us have set New Years Resolutions for the coming year. One of my personal goals was to create a book list of 12 books to read in 2020.  I love to read but I don’t always make time for it. My goal was to read books that would help me with my mental health and challenge me in the area of personal growth. As a way to help me with accountability, I will be sharing my impressions of each book with you. My hope is that these books can help you in your journey towards self-care this year. Choosing Books for Personal…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 25, 2020
    Mixed Media Art Journal Page Summer Days

    Mixed Media Art Journal Page – Hot Summer Days

    August 13, 2021
    Must have mixed media supplies for the art journal including art journal, acrylic paint, gesso, matte and gel mediums, watercolor paint, acrylic and watercolor brushes, paint pens, pigment pens, stamps and stencils

    Must Have Mixed Media Supplies for the Art Journal

    November 12, 2021
  • Artist's Journey

    Realistic Goal Setting and New Year’s Resolutions

    December 30, 2019 /

    As 2020 is just around the corner, the topic of realistic goal setting and New Year’s Resolutions comes up in conversation. Goal setting can be a struggle for me, but not because I’m unmotivated. On the contrary, one of my strengths is achieving. I tend to set impossible goals or have too many goals. For goal setting to be effective we must set realistic goals in a way that does not bring stress or guilt. Instead it should bring inspiration and motivation. Goal setting does not have to cause anxiety or be discouraging.  It can be a powerful tool to help you meet your goals without punishing yourself. Hop-A-Long Studio…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Nadine Milton Sketching in Kelowna Japanese Garden

    Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

    August 13, 2022
    Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine Milton

    Make Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!

    December 19, 2025
    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    August 28, 2020
23456

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

  • Art Classes
  • Art Journal
  • Artist's Journey
  • Projects
  • Techniques

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 (19) Creative Foundations (24) Creativity (28) 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 (13) 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

  • How to Choose an Art Journal You’ll Love
    In Art Journal
  • Why art journal?Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters
    In Projects
  • How to use Pan Pastels in an Art Journal Page to display your yearly intentionShow Your New Years Intention with Pan Pastels
    In Art Journal, Projects, Techniques
[mailerlite_form form_id=0]
© 2019- 2026. Hop-A-Long Studio Limited. All Rights Reserved.
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.