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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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    Blue Monday: Reasons to Hope

    Blue Monday: Reasons to Hope

    January 19, 2020
    The Intuitive Collage Process | How to Get Past a Creative Block

    The Intuitive Collage Process | How to Get Past a Creative Block

    June 12, 2023
    Art Tag using Scribble Stick Watercolor Technique and Brene Brown Quote on Vellum

    Scribble Sticks Watercolor Technique

    September 17, 2021
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Detail of Heart Focal Image from Valentine's Day Slimline Card

    Valentine’s Day Slimline Card

    February 12, 2021
    Finding A New Normal

    Finding a New Normal

    May 29, 2020
    v

    How to Create Gelli Prints with 5 Types of Ink

    August 19, 2022
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    How to Use Watercolors with Stencils

    How to use Watercolors with Stencils

    August 26, 2022
    How to create unique color combinations in the art journal using a color wheel

    How to use a Color Wheel to Create Unique Art Journal Color Combinations

    May 5, 2023
    Which Pen To Choose? The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    October 29, 2021
  • 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 Paint a Tree in 3 Easy Steps!

    June 12, 2024
    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
    Layered gel plates created by Nadine Milton

    How to Master Gel Print Layers in Monoprinting

    June 13, 2025
  • 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

    You May Also Like

    Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice Hop-A-Long Studio

    Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice

    May 27, 2022

    How to Paint a Tree in 3 Easy Steps!

    June 12, 2024

    How to Choose an Art Journal You’ll Love

    February 27, 2026
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to Use Alcohol Inks and Stencils

    How to Use Alcohol Inks and Stencils

    August 14, 2020
    (SM)ART Goals for Artists

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

    December 31, 2021
    How to Make Gelli Prints

    How to Make Gelli Prints

    May 15, 2020
  • 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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    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 25, 2020
    How to Use Watercolor Backgrounds in an Art Journal Page

    How to Use Watercolor Backgrounds in an Art Journal

    September 2, 2022
    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 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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    wet-on-wet watercolor techniques mixing colors

    Easy Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Techniques for Beginners

    October 28, 2022
    Everything is Figure-outable Art Journaling Page with Fluid Acrylics

    Using Fluid Acrylics in the Art Journal

    July 22, 2022
    Art Journal Project: The Courage to Be Seen

    Having the Courage to be Seen

    September 12, 2020
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    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
    Painting with Ink Art Journal Project

    Painting with Ink: An Art Journal Project

    November 13, 2020
    Monochromatic Art Journal Project Be Brave Using Blue Color Palette and Wild Whisper Designs Products

    Monochromatic Art Journal Project

    April 9, 2021
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Layered gel plates created by Nadine Milton

    How to Master Gel Print Layers in Monoprinting

    June 13, 2025
    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    February 21, 2020
    4 lessons from start with why

    4 Lessons from Start With Why

    March 6, 2020
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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