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The Art of Self-Care

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  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
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  • 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
  • Why art journal?
    Projects

    Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters

    February 13, 2026 /

    Are you curious about art journaling and not sure where to start? You’re in the right place! I’ve been art journaling for many years and am so excited to introduce you to this fun and creative art form.  Today I’ll share with you what art journaling is, what you need to get started and lots of examples to inspire your creativity! 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 Art Journaling? What is art journaling? There are many techniques and ideas that fall under the umbrella of art journaling. Depending on what…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Festive and Fabulous Gel Print Holiday Cards

    The Best DIY Gel Print Holiday Cards

    December 5, 2025
    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
    Layering Details using Caran d'Ache Technalo Water Soluble Graphite Pencils

    How to use Water Soluble Graphite

    June 17, 2022
  • How to use Pan Pastels in an Art Journal Page to display your yearly intention
    Art Journal,  Projects,  Techniques

    Show Your New Years Intention with Pan Pastels

    January 1, 2026 /

    Are you looking to start a creative habit this year? I love January as it’s a time to explore some of the materials in my art room that I haven’t used in a while and play with some new ideas. Today I’m pulling out my Pan Pastels to show you some fun and easy techniques that anyone can do! 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 are Pan Pastels? I’ve shared about Pan Pastels before, but if you’re not familiar with these cute little pans, they are pastel pigment in a round…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Mystified by Acrylic Pastes? How to Color Pastes in 1 Easy Step!

    March 3, 2023
    Art Journal Flip Through Lessons from an Online Art Retreat

    Looking for Inspiration? A New Art Journal Flip Through!

    August 11, 2023
    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!

    October 18, 2025
  • Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine Milton
    Projects,  Techniques

    Make Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!

    December 19, 2025 /

    Are you looking for simple ways to create amazing holiday collage cards? Today let’s talk about a few fun and easy techniques to create unique collage card designs. Not only are these collage techniques perfect for cards, but you can also easily make them work in your next art journal page. 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. We’ll be using up leftover paper pieces from other projects. If you have dictionary pages, magazine papers, leftover gel prints or scrapbook papers they are perfect for holiday collages. Today I’m going to stick to…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to Stamp on Acetate Sheets with Paint and Inks

    How to Stamp on Acetate Sheets with Inks and Paints

    July 1, 2023
    4 Things I Learned From Failing Forward

    4 Things I Learned from Failing Forward

    February 7, 2020
    Contour Drawing with Watercolor and Wax Resist

    Loosen Up with Contour Drawing and Painterly Effects

    January 7, 2022
  • Abstract Holiday Cards Made with Paper Scraps from Simply Stated Design Golden Evergreen Papers
    Projects,  Techniques

    Use Your Scraps to Make Stunning Holiday Cards

    December 8, 2025 /

    After completing a project do you find that you have a lot of scraps and leftover pieces that you just can’t part with? You’re not alone. So what do we do with these pieces? Do we throw them out? Or file them away never to be seen again? There is a third option. We can take these pieces and create stunning holiday cards with them. Even if you only have small scraps, these leftover pieces can make unique collage holiday cards that your loved ones will treasure. 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…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to use Pan Pastels in an Art Journal Page to display your yearly intention

    Show Your New Years Intention with Pan Pastels

    January 1, 2026
    Scrapbooking Page Using Alcohol Inks with Stencils and Stamping

    Using Alcohol Inks with Stencils

    April 2, 2021
    How to Stamp on Acetate Sheets with Paint and Inks

    How to Stamp on Acetate Sheets with Inks and Paints

    July 1, 2023
  • How to get the most textured collage in your art journal
    Projects,  Techniques

    Create the Ultimate Textured Collage with this Technique

    August 23, 2025 /

    Do you feel like your collage pages are missing something, but you’re not sure what? I’ve been there too. I’ve always loved collage but sometimes my pages feel a bit flat, like they need that extra something. Then I stumbled into these texture tricks and everything changed! Paper wasn’t just paper anymore; it became so much more. Today I’m sharing my favorite ways to add depth and energy with textured collage techniques. Let’s dive into the collage process and unlock a whole new side to your creativity! 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…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Collage with Tissue Paper and Acetate in the art journal

    How to Collage with Tissue Paper and Acetate

    June 16, 2023
    How to Paint a Night Sky

    How to Paint a Night Sky

    February 19, 2021
    Mixed Media Fall Greeting Card Using Distress Crayons, Archival Ink and Wild Whisper Designs Paper and Stamps

    Mixed Media Fall Greeting Card

    October 8, 2021
  • Gel print art journal page featuring hummingbirds and flowers
    Projects,  Techniques

    Gel Print Collage Techniques You’ll Love

    July 18, 2025 /

    Gel printing is fun… until you realize you’ve made more gel prints than you know what to do with! Don’t worry—we’ve all been there. The good news? There’s no wrong way to start using these gel prints in your next collage. Today we’ll walk through simple and creative ways to use your gel prints in a collage project. I’ll be sharing my favorite tips and techniques to design and create an effective collage page. 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. The Overwhelm of Gel Prints It happens to all of us. We…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Gelli Print on Canvas

    How to Gelli Print on Canvas

    July 8, 2022
    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 25, 2020
    How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts

    How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts

    March 5, 2021
  • Mixed Media Collage Using Paper, Acetate and Fabric Tape
    Projects,  Techniques

    Mixed Media Collage Techniques You Need to Try!

    March 21, 2025 /

    Mixed media collage is hard….or is it? Sometimes when we’re using more than one material, we tend to complicate things. Let’s dive into a beautiful and easy project using fabric, acetate and paper! 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. Choosing your Favorite Paper Every time I work on a mixed media collage project, I either start with an idea, a favorite paper, or a medium that I want to use. This project is no exception. I have this beautiful Golden Botanicals paper from Simply Stated Design that is perfect for a collage…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Art of Self-Discovery Art Journaling Page

    The Art of Self-Discovery: An Art Journaling Project

    May 27, 2019
    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    December 2, 2022
    When Things Don't Go According to Plan

    When Things Don’t Go According to Plan

    September 25, 2020
  • tissue paper collage with chipboard and gems
    Projects,  Techniques

    The Secret to Stunning Collages…use Tissue Paper!

    March 7, 2025 /

    Do you have stacks of tissue paper and don’t know what to do with it? There are many types of tissue papers available that you can purchase pre-printed or alter yourself. Let’s dive into tissue paper collage and look at some easy techniques to incorporate them in your next 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. Types of Tissue Paper You can use almost any type of tissue paper in your projects. There are a variety of tissue papers you can purchase printed in both color and black and white. You…

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    Nadine Milton

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    gel plate printing with leaves and grasses

    Unique & Easy Gel Printing with Leaves and Grasses

    September 19, 2025
    How to Make Collage Papers for Free

    Make Gorgeous Collage Papers for Free

    April 24, 2026
    Printing with Gelli Plate Minis Gelli Printing Plates

    Printing with Gelli Plate Minis

    September 3, 2021
  • Easy holiday Z fold card using Simply Stated Designs 2024 Advent Calendar Collection
    Projects,  Techniques

    3 Unique Ways to Make Fabulous 3D Holiday Cards

    December 13, 2024 /

    Are you looking to create unique holiday cards to create and gift this Christmas season? Today I’m sharing with you 3 of my favorite dimensional card designs. These designs are unique, easy to make and lay flat for mailing! These beautiful cards not only work for holiday designs, but for other events during the year. Scroll to the end of the article to see some other samples of these beautiful holiday cards! 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. Z-Fold Holiday Card The Z-fold card might look complicated, but it is a very…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    3 Ways to Trace Images onto Paper

    3 Easy Ways to Trace Images onto Paper

    January 8, 2021
    Working in a Series with Gelli Prints Calendar Project

    Working in a Series with Gelli Prints

    December 30, 2022

    How to Paint a Tree in 3 Easy Steps!

    June 12, 2024
  • Simply Stated Design Advent Calendar 2024
    Projects

    The Unique Advent Calendar You’ll Love Unboxing!

    October 22, 2024 /

    Are you looking for a unique art and craft advent calendar this Christmas season? Don’t look any further than the Simply Stated Design advent calendar! Last year I was looking for a creative advent calendar to count down to Christmas and purchased one of these for the first time. I was amazed at how many goodies came in this advent calendar and how many projects I was able to create! This year Simply Stated Design is partnering with me and sent me this box in advance to the official release so that I could share all of its secrets with you. So let’s get started and see what amazing treasures…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Traveler's Notebook Examples

    How to Use a Traveler’s Notebook

    March 19, 2021
    Gel print art journal page featuring hummingbirds and flowers

    Gel Print Collage Techniques You’ll Love

    July 18, 2025
    Mixed Media Art Journal Collage

    Mixed Media Art Journal Collage: Finding Intention at Christmas

    December 17, 2021
123

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 (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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