Hop-A-Long Studio

The Art of Self-Care

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

Recent Posts

  • 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
  • Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine MiltonMake Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!
    In Projects, Techniques
  • Abstract Holiday Cards Made with Paper Scraps from Simply Stated Design Golden Evergreen PapersUse Your Scraps to Make Stunning Holiday Cards
    In Projects, Techniques
  • Acrylic Paint Pouring Ornaments
    Projects

    Easy and Beautiful Acrylic Paint Pouring Holiday Ornaments

    December 22, 2023 /

    Have you ever tried making holiday ornaments using acrylic paint pouring techniques? This medium may seem messy, but today I’ll show you how to get beautiful results with a controlled pour. This makes these stunning ornaments easy to make and requires a lot less clean up. Why Pouring Medium? I love pouring medium because of the glossy effect of the paint and the beautiful depth of color that you can get in your designs. It isn’t an easily controllable medium, so it lends itself better to abstract pieces and designs. This makes it perfect for holiday ornaments. I’ve recently been teaching a lot of paint pouring and had a lot…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Choosing the best collage glue for your art practice

    Looking for the Best Collage Glue? START HERE!

    July 25, 2025
    Rabbit acrylic painting on top of gelli printing collage

    4 Ideas for Using Gelli Printing in Your Projects

    May 22, 2020
    Valentines Art Journal Page

    Valentines Art Journal Page

    February 5, 2021
  • Paint Your Season's Greetings: Simple Watercolor Christmas Card Designs
    Projects,  Techniques

    Paint Your Season’s Greetings with Simple Watercolor Christmas Cards

    December 1, 2023 /

    Looking for ideas for simple watercolor Christmas cards? With the Christmas season approaching, we may want to make homemade Christmas cards. But it can feel really overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. How do you come up with a simple design that’s effective and easy to make? And most importantly, a design that you can easily replicate so that you can give all your favorite people a hand-made card. Today I’m sharing with you beginner-friendly and simple watercolor Christmas cards. This is a great way to practice your basic watercolor skills and make a bunch of beautiful cards quickly and easily. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy…

    Read More
    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
    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    February 21, 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
  • Napkin Decoupage on Any Surface: Decorating a plastic pumpkin with napkins and pouring medium
    Projects,  Techniques

    The Art of Napkin Decoupage: How to Easily Transform Any Surface

    October 20, 2023 /

    Are you new to napkin decoupage? Or have been trying to refine napkin techniques on your own creative projects? Using napkins is a fun and beautiful way to add designs quickly to any surface. I love incorporate napkins into my canvas paintings, art journal projects and cards. But what it you want to use napkins on a curved surface or for a home décor piece? What do we need to know to make sure that we get great results every time? Today I’ll be sharing about how I use napkins outside of the art journal by transforming a plastic pumpkin into a beautiful piece of fall home décor. Hop-A-Long Studio…

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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
    Neurographic Art Blended with Pan Pastels

    Neurographic Art with Pan Pastels

    March 25, 2022
    gel plate printing with leaves and grasses

    Unique & Easy Gel Printing with Leaves and Grasses

    September 19, 2025
  • Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage
    Projects,  Techniques

    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    September 16, 2023 /

    Looking for a way to practice your mixed media skills outside the art journal? Try making a fun and original home décor pumpkins with decoupage techniques! I found a plastic pumpkin at my local craft store and thought it would be perfect for adding a variety of mixed media elements to make it unique. Generally, I’m not much of a home décor creative, but occasionally it’s fun to change up the creative process. It can be a way of picking up new skills or learning how to use skills that you have in a different way.  I find there’s always fun surprises along the path of creative self-discovery. Hop-A-Long Studio…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Detail of Leaf Rubbings Art Journal Page using Caran d'Ache Neocolor 1 Wax Pastels and Tombow Fudenosuke Pen

    Using Leaf Rubbings and Ink for Drawing Practice

    October 15, 2021
    Embracing Self-Worth and Values, Hand Holding Compass

    Embracing Self-Worth: Connecting Values and Identity

    August 9, 2019
    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    February 3, 2023
  • Glass Painting Techniques with Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paint
    Projects

    Easy Glass Painting Techniques with Pebeo Vitrea 160

    March 24, 2023 /

    Are you interested in using your painting skills not only in the journal but also with home décor projects? Glass painting can be a great way to vary your creative practice and make beautiful and useful gifts. Lately I’ve been experimenting with glass paint and am very impressed with the pieces I’ve created. But there are a few techniques to make sure that you get the best results with your glass paint.   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. Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paints For painting glass, I like using Pebeo Vitrea…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine Milton

    Make Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!

    December 19, 2025
    Living in Transition: How to thrive in change

    Living in Transition: How to Thrive in Change

    August 7, 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
  • Projects,  Techniques

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

    March 3, 2023 /

    Are you mystified by acrylic pastes? Acrylic pastes can add beautiful textures on any project, but if you don’t know how they work, they may seem hard to use. Today we’ll talk about what you need to know to purchase and color acrylic pastes. 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 the Right Acrylic Pastes There are so many acrylic pastes available that you may be overwhelmed by choice. Here are some things to consider when choosing the right acrylic paste for your creative practice.   Craft Pastes There are a variety…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Detail of Card Live Life in Full Bloom Stamped Card Colored with Distress Crayons

    Quick Coloring Technique Using Distress Crayons

    September 24, 2021
    Guitar Card Using Watercolor Pencils and Wild Whisper Designs Feel the Beat Stamp Set

    How to use Watercolor Pencils

    January 15, 2021
    Art Journaling Project with Tissue Paper Collage

    Art Journaling with Tissue Paper Collage

    January 21, 2022
  • Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper
    Projects

    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    February 3, 2023 /

    Have you ever tried creating your own book? Making a book might feel intimidating, but this easy snake book is a great place to start! I love these snake books because they are simple to make and work perfectly as gifts. I like to use mine for art journaling and for a place to write down my favorite quotes. These also make great gratitude journals! 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 a Snake Book? A snake book is a simple folded book made from one piece of paper. The size…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    “How did I end up here?” Finding Awareness in our Everyday Lives

    “How did I end up here?” Finding Awareness in our Everyday Lives

    April 29, 2019
    How to Make a Simple Christmas Card

    How to Make a Simple Christmas Card

    November 27, 2020
    Saying Goodbye to Ego Art Journaling Page

    Why I Killed my Ego

    November 28, 2019
  • Working in a Series with Gelli Prints Calendar Project
    Projects,  Techniques

    Working in a Series with Gelli Prints

    December 30, 2022 /

    Have you ever used your gelli prints to work in a series? Using gelli prints to create a series of work can be a fun and creative way to use your prints in project. Today we’ll be creating a calendar project using a series of gelli prints and stamps to bring cohesion to our series.  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 Working in a Series Working in a series is a term often used by artists when they use one subject, set of colors or techniques to make multiple works…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Art of Self-Discovery Art Journaling Page

    The Art of Self-Discovery: An Art Journaling Project

    May 27, 2019
    Basic art journal techniques using acrylic paint and napkins

    New to Art Journaling? Basic Techniques using Paints and Napkins

    January 27, 2023
    How to Blend With Pan Pastels Art Journaling Project

    How to Blend Pan Pastels: A Journey in Blending and Layering Pastels

    July 23, 2021
  • Beautiful Mixed Media Holiday Tag Designs for Last Minute Gifts
    Projects,  Techniques

    In A Rush? 3 Beautiful Holiday Tag Designs for Last Minute Gifts

    December 22, 2022 /

    Do you ever forget that you need holiday tags for your gifts? Often a few days before Christmas when I’m wrapping presents, I realize that I need to make holiday tags. These holiday tag designs can be very complex or extremely simple depending on how many layers you add to your holiday tags. Today I’m sharing 3 holiday tag designs with different amounts of layering. This way you can make a tag in a few minutes or add a few more layers to make a more complex but beautiful holiday tag.   Holiday tags can also make fantastic Christmas cards. You can mount them onto a card back or you…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    February 11, 2022
    How to Create a Traveler's Notebook

    How to Create a Traveler’s Notebook

    April 23, 2021
    Struggling with Contrast when Gelli Printing? Here’s How to Fix It

    Struggling with Contrast when Gelli Printing? Here’s How to Fix It

    December 8, 2023
  • Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards
    Projects,  Techniques

    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    December 2, 2022 /

    Looking for smudge free results with your Pan Pastel Christmas cards? These easy Christmas cards take advantage of the beautiful blends you get with Pan Pastels without the smudging that sometimes occurs with this medium. 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. Blending with Pan Pastels I love the beautiful blends that we can get with Pan Pastels. This is what makes Pan Pastels so forgiving and fun to use. If you are new to Pan Pastels, check out my How to Use Pan Pastels video where I walk you through the basics…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Acrylic Paint Pouring Ornaments

    Easy and Beautiful Acrylic Paint Pouring Holiday Ornaments

    December 22, 2023
    15 Gift Ideas for Artists

    15 Amazing Gift Ideas for Artists and Creatives

    November 3, 2023
    Napkin Decoupage on Any Surface: Decorating a plastic pumpkin with napkins and pouring medium

    The Art of Napkin Decoupage: How to Easily Transform Any Surface

    October 20, 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.

Categories

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  • Art Journal
  • Artist's Journey
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  • Techniques

Tags

Acceptance (10) acrylic paint (16) Acrylic Painting (17) Applying Art Mediums (14) Applying Brusho Powders (10) Art Ideas (22) art journal (19) Art Journaling (61) 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 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
  • Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine MiltonMake Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!
    In Projects, Techniques
  • Abstract Holiday Cards Made with Paper Scraps from Simply Stated Design Golden Evergreen PapersUse Your Scraps to Make Stunning Holiday Cards
    In Projects, Techniques
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