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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
  • My first mixed media page in the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    My First Impressions of the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal

    March 14, 2025 /

    I recently discovered my new favorite journal, the Dina Wakley Ledger journal!  Join me as I share my first impressions and test this unique art journal using my favorite techniques. In the fall of last year, I had the opportunity to take a few classes in person with the lovely Dina Wakley. She was excited about her new art journal that would be coming out but couldn’t tell us anything about it. I’ve been waiting for months for this journal to come out. I was not disappointed! 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Working in a Series with Gelli Prints Calendar Project

    Working in a Series with Gelli Prints

    December 30, 2022
    Basic art journal techniques using acrylic paint and napkins

    New to Art Journaling? Basic Techniques using Paints and Napkins

    January 27, 2023
    Art Journal Flip Through Lessons from an Online Art Retreat

    Looking for Inspiration? A New Art Journal Flip Through!

    August 11, 2023
  • 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…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Deco Foil Christmas Cards Merry and Bright

    Deco Foil Christmas Card “Merry and Bright”

    December 3, 2021
    gel plate printing with leaves and grasses

    Unique & Easy Gel Printing with Leaves and Grasses

    September 19, 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
  • Amazing Art Journal Page Using a Vaseline Resist Technique
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Create Vaseline Resist Techniques in Your Art Journal

    September 8, 2023 /

    Are you looking for interesting ways to add and remove layers on your art journal pages? Try this amazing Vaseline resist technique! I love this technique because it’s easy to do and Vaseline is one of the few mediums that will resist acrylic paint. Using Vaseline makes for very interesting effects on any art journal page, and it’s so easy to master! 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 a Vaseline Resist Start with the Background To create a beautiful Vaseline resist, we need to start with a background that will work…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Objects that Encourage Your Self-Care Practice

    The Mindful Magic of Fountain Pens

    September 4, 2020
    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    February 11, 2022

    Realistic Goal Setting and New Year’s Resolutions

    December 30, 2019
  • 3 Unique Ways to Use Stencils and Stencil Masks
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    3 Unique Ways to Use Stencils and Masks

    September 1, 2023 /

    Are you looking for unique ways to use stencils and masks in your art journal? Today I’ll be talking about the difference between stencils and masks and how we can use them in our 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. What’s the Difference Between Stencils and Masks? If you’ve never used stencils and masks together, it can be confusing to know what the difference is. The Stencil Girl Wildflowers Botanical stencil that I’m using today is sold with the mask and stencil together. If you can find stencils…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Watercolor Landscape Paint Along with Gouache

    Watercolor Landscape Paint Along

    June 11, 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
    Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

    Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

    March 18, 2022
  • Create Unique Art Journal Backgrounds with Plastic Wrap
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Create Unique Art Journal Backgrounds with Plastic Wrap

    August 19, 2023 /

    Are you looking for unique ways to create layers in your art journal pages? Today we’ll talk about how to create beautiful and easy art journal backgrounds using plastic wrap. One of the hardest parts about art journaling is breaking up the white space and creating unique backgrounds. We can get stuck at this first step and this can often interrupt our creative flow. This is where I look for things around my house to inspire me. Plastic wrap is a great art tool because it’s inexpensive and easily available. You probably already have some! Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors an Easy Art Journal Project

    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors

    February 10, 2023
    Choosing the best collage glue for your art practice

    Looking for the Best Collage Glue? START HERE!

    July 25, 2025
    How to Blend With Pan Pastels Art Journaling Project

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

    July 23, 2021
  • How to Stamp on Acetate Sheets with Paint and Inks
    Techniques

    How to Stamp on Acetate Sheets with Inks and Paints

    July 1, 2023 /

    Are you looking to add pattern and interest to clear acetate or plastic sheets for use in your creative projects? Today I’ll be sharing with you how to stamp on acetate sheets and get great results every time. There’s a variety of mediums that will work for stamping on acetate, but today I’ll be focusing on three mediums that I’ve found work the best: acrylic paint, StazOn ink, and archival ink. 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 Stamp on Acetate Sheets? If you have been following me for a while, a…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Painting with Ink Art Journal Project

    Painting with Ink: An Art Journal Project

    November 13, 2020
    3 Unique Ways to Use Stencils and Stencil Masks

    3 Unique Ways to Use Stencils and Masks

    September 1, 2023
    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 25, 2020
  • 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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    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    September 16, 2023
    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    February 21, 2020
    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
  • Everything is Figure-outable Art Journaling Page with Fluid Acrylics
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Using Fluid Acrylics in the Art Journal

    July 22, 2022 /

    Have you ever used fluid acrylics in your art journal? If you haven’t heard of these beautiful acrylic paints before, I would highly recommend trying them in your art journal. These acrylic paints are highly pigmented and work so well on their own and with other mediums. 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 Fluid Acrylic Paints? Fluid acrylic paints are a highly pigmented paint that have the consistency of heavy cream. These paints are much thinner than a heavy body paint that many of us use in our projects. Golden…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Art Journal Flip Through Lessons from an Online Art Retreat

    Looking for Inspiration? A New Art Journal Flip Through!

    August 11, 2023
    Which Pen To Choose? The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    October 29, 2021
    Creative Foundations How to Blend Ink

    Creative Foundations: How to Blend Ink

    January 31, 2020
  • How to Gelli Print on Canvas
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Gelli Print on Canvas

    July 8, 2022 /

    Have you ever tried gelli printing on surfaces other than paper? This summer I’ve been playing around with different surfaces with my gel plate to see what interesting results I’ll get. My newest experiment was how to Gelli print on canvas and I’ve been surprised by the results. 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 Canvas for Gelli Printing There is a variety of canvas that can be used for Gelli printing. My favorite canvas is artist canvas pads in black and white. These pads are easy to use as the…

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    Nadine Milton

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    3 Ways to Trace Images onto Paper

    3 Easy Ways to Trace Images onto Paper

    January 8, 2021
    Fall Scrapbooking Page using Gelli Prints and Wild Whisper Designs Strength of the Season Ephemera

    Too Many Gelli Prints? A Fall Project for Using Your Prints

    September 10, 2021
    Art Journal Page Using Gel Textures and Gel Prints

    Creating Art Journal Textures with Gelli Prints

    April 22, 2022
  • Gelli Plate Printing Textures with Leaves
    Techniques

    Gelli Plate Printing with Leaves

    June 24, 2022 /

    Gel plate printing with leaves is a fun and easy technique that lets us get outside to find beautiful textures. Summer in Canada is short. So, I make a point to get outside and incorporate nature in my art journal and gel plate printing projects. Today I am sharing my favorite techniques for Gel plate printing with leaves and how to get good results with organic materials. 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. Finding Leaves for Your Prints Now that summer is upon us, I’ve been spending a lot of time out…

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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
    How to use Resist Techniques with Alcohol Inks

    How to use Resist Techniques with Alcohol Inks

    May 20, 2022
    Art Journal Project: The Courage to Be Seen

    Having the Courage to be Seen

    September 12, 2020
12

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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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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