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The Art of Self-Care

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  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
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  • CLASSES
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  • 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
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    The Ultimate Guide to Coloring Acetate

    The Ultimate Guide for Coloring Acetate

    July 7, 2023
    GAMENOTE Paint Brush Cleaner and Accessories

    How to Choose the Best Paint Brush Cleaner

    March 17, 2023
    Detail of Card Live Life in Full Bloom Stamped Card Colored with Distress Crayons

    Quick Coloring Technique Using Distress Crayons

    September 24, 2021
  • Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages

    November 18, 2022 /

    Looking for foil alternatives for cards and art journal pages? There are household products that can work amazing on your art journal and card projects, at a fraction of the cost of craft foiling sheets. These techniques are a must know for any creative. Today we’ll go over a few different materials, the positive and negatives of each, and how you can add them to your creative 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. Alternatives to Foil Cardstock Foil cardstock is an amazing option for creating mirrored surfaces, beautiful sentiments, and details…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Use Gel Prints in Your Art Journal

    Feeling Stuck? How to Use Gel Prints in Your Art Journal Projects

    July 29, 2022
    Detail of Card Live Life in Full Bloom Stamped Card Colored with Distress Crayons

    Quick Coloring Technique Using Distress Crayons

    September 24, 2021
    Holiday Collage Reflecting on the Season

    Texture Tips for Your Holiday Collage| Reflecting on the Season

    December 18, 2023
  • Collage with Dried Leaves in Your Art Journal
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Collage with Dried Leaves in Your Journal

    October 21, 2022 /

    Have you ever tried collage with dried leaves in your art journal? Dried leaves can be a hard medium to use because they can crack and disintegrate in your project. But by using a few simple techniques, you can preserve your leaves and create a beautiful, layered autumn art journal 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. How to Prevent Dried Leaves from Falling Apart The hardest thing about using dried leaves in your art journal is preventing them from falling apart. Especially with collage, if you use a thick gel medium…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Traveler's Notebook Examples

    How to Use a Traveler’s Notebook

    March 19, 2021
    Art of Self-Discovery Art Journaling Page

    The Art of Self-Discovery: An Art Journaling Project

    May 27, 2019
    Canvas Preparation for the Art Curious

    Canvas Preparation for the Art Curious

    March 4, 2022
  • Creating an Art Journal Page Using Paper Glossy Accents and Distress Crayons
    Art Journal

    Easy Art Journal Page Using Paper

    September 16, 2022 /

    If you are new to art journaling, it can be intimidating knowing where to start. One of the most basic techniques is creating an art journal page using paper. This doesn’t require a lot of materials and it’s an easy place to get started. But we’re going to spice up this art journal page by adding mediums to the paper. This is a great way to use paper but add your own creative flair to your 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. The Art Journal Prompt Before I start…

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    Nadine Milton

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    4 Things I Learned From Failing Forward

    4 Things I Learned from Failing Forward

    February 7, 2020
    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
    Fall Leaf Card Project

    Fall Leaf Card Project

    November 6, 2020
  • How to Use Watercolor Backgrounds in an Art Journal Page
    Projects,  Techniques

    How to Use Watercolor Backgrounds in an Art Journal

    September 2, 2022 /

    In last week’s tutorial we created beautiful watercolor backgrounds using stencils. But how can we effectively use these watercolor pages in an art journal? It’s always fun to try a new technique, but the real question is how do we apply it to our 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 to do with Watercolor Stenciled Papers So what can we do with these beautiful watercolor stenciled papers? They can be used as backgrounds in cards or on art journal pages. They can also be cut into images or used in…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts

    How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts

    March 5, 2021
    Easy holiday Z fold card using Simply Stated Designs 2024 Advent Calendar Collection

    3 Unique Ways to Make Fabulous 3D Holiday Cards

    December 13, 2024
    Gelli Plate Printing Textures with Leaves

    Gelli Plate Printing with Leaves

    June 24, 2022
  • How to Use Watercolors with Stencils
    Techniques

    How to use Watercolors with Stencils

    August 26, 2022 /

    Using watercolors with stencils may seem like two things that don’t go together in your art journal. The loose nature of watercolor appears incompatible with stencils. But with a bit of experimentation and imagination, you can get some amazing and unexpected results using watercolors with stencils. 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. Adding Watercolors to Stencils When adding watercolors to stencils, you may need to change your expectation for the final result. When using acrylic paints, gel or paste mediums with stencils, the medium can be applied, and the stencil removed immediately.…

    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
    Easy Art Journal Project Using Wild Whisper Designs Until We Eat Again Collection

    Easy Art Journal Project: Jumping into Art Journaling

    July 16, 2021
    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    February 11, 2022
  • Nadine Milton Sketching in Kelowna Japanese Garden
    Artist's Journey

    Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

    August 13, 2022 /

    If you’ve never experienced an art retreat, this can be a fantastic way to boost your creativity and reset your creative practice. I recently returned from an art retreat and many people had questions about my experience. Today I’ll share with you what I learned and why an art retreat might be the perfect experience for you. What is an Art Retreat? Most simply, an art retreat is a chance to get out of your regular environment and take time to create art. These can be structured, instructive classes, or just a quiet place for you to get away and work on your art. A lot of professional artists do…

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    Nadine Milton

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    When Things Don't Go According to Plan

    When Things Don’t Go According to Plan

    September 25, 2020
    Mixed Media Collage Using Paper, Acetate and Fabric Tape

    Mixed Media Collage Techniques You Need to Try!

    March 21, 2025
    Creating Mixed Media Tissue Paper

    Creating Mixed Media Tissue Paper

    January 28, 2022
  • How to Use Gel Prints in Your Art Journal
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Feeling Stuck? How to Use Gel Prints in Your Art Journal Projects

    July 29, 2022 /

    Do you ever stare at your stack of gel prints wondering how to use those gel prints in your projects? You’re not alone. It can be overwhelming to take the beautiful prints you’ve made and figure out how to incorporate them into your journal. Today I’ll share with you one way that I like using gel prints in my art journal and how easy it is to add gel prints into your 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. Adding Gel Prints to the Art Journal There are so many ways of…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    October 7, 2020
    Creating Mixed Media Tissue Paper

    Creating Mixed Media Tissue Paper

    January 28, 2022
    tissue paper collage with chipboard and gems

    The Secret to Stunning Collages…use Tissue Paper!

    March 7, 2025
  • 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

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    How to tint acrylic pastes and gels

    From White to WOW: How to Tint Acrylic Pastes

    August 1, 2025
    How to Use Watercolor Paint

    How to Use Watercolor Paint

    July 17, 2020
    Beautiful Mixed Media Holiday Tag Designs for Last Minute Gifts

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

    December 22, 2022
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Practicing Self-Care during the Holiday Season

    Practicing Self-Care during the Holiday Season

    December 12, 2019
    (SM)ART Goals for Artists

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

    December 31, 2021
    In Time It's Going to be Okay

    In Time It’s Going to be Okay

    May 9, 2020
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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.

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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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