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The Art of Self-Care

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

Recent Posts

  • gel plate printing for beginnersHow to Start Gel Printing with Zero Experience
    In Techniques
  • How to use watercolor powders with stencilsThe Best Way to Use Watercolor Powders with Stencils
    In Techniques
  • Watercolor Pigment Powders Brusho Crystal Colours, Lindy's Gang Magicals and Nuvo Shimmer Powders how to use on watercolor paperWatercolor Powders Demystified! You need to Try these!
    In Techniques
  • Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal Using Archival and Dye Inks
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal

    January 13, 2023 /

    Looking for creative ways to use ink techniques in your art journal? So often when we’re working in our art journal, we like to use acrylic mediums. But inks can also create amazing results in an art journal. The benefits of dye and archival inks is they are easily available, aren’t super messy, and have so much versatility as an art journal medium.   Earlier this week I was asked the question by a reader, “Can you use ink in a journal?” Yes, you absolutely can. Today we’ll look at several creative ink techniques for your art journal. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site,…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Art Journaling Project with Tissue Paper Collage

    Art Journaling with Tissue Paper Collage

    January 21, 2022
    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
    wet-on-wet watercolor techniques mixing colors

    Easy Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Techniques for Beginners

    October 28, 2022
  • Art Tags with Black Paper Backgrounds created with stencils, stamps, inks and paint pen
    Projects,  Techniques

    How to Use Black Paper Backgrounds with Inks and Pens

    November 5, 2021 /

    Have you ever used black paper backgrounds in your journal or creative projects? Adding color to black paper by drawing and stamping is easy, but there are a few things to consider when applying color. Not all mediums are suitable for using on black paper, so today I will share some of my favorite mediums and techniques with you. Inks for Black Paper When using inks on black paper backgrounds, you need to consider the properties of your ink. The main consideration is whether your ink is translucent or opaque. Not all inks are the same so only certain ones will work well on black paper. Inks that I use…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Realistic Goal Setting and New Year’s Resolutions

    December 30, 2019
    How to Gelli Print on Canvas

    How to Gelli Print on Canvas

    July 8, 2022
    Techniques for Creating Beautiful Layers with Alcohol Ink

    Techniques for Creating Beautiful Layers with Alcohol Inks

    December 16, 2022
  • Detail of Card Live Life in Full Bloom Stamped Card Colored with Distress Crayons
    Projects,  Techniques

    Quick Coloring Technique Using Distress Crayons

    September 24, 2021 /

    Do you ever struggle with adding color to your images? Coloring images is enjoyable but can take a lot of time and patience. Today I will be demonstrating a quick coloring technique using Distress Crayons for those moments when you want to spend less time coloring and want a very forgiving result. Fighting Against Perfectionism Using a quick coloring technique is a great way of fighting against perfectionism in our creative practice. We can be very critical about how we color and shade images. This technique is a great way of breaking out of perfectionism. I originally showed this technique at the Creative Scrapbooking Carnival last weekend when I was…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Create Unique Art Journal Backgrounds with Plastic Wrap

    How to Create Unique Art Journal Backgrounds with Plastic Wrap

    August 19, 2023
    How to Use Pan Pastels

    How to use Pan Pastels

    January 1, 2021
    Amazing Art Journal Page Using a Vaseline Resist Technique

    How to Create Vaseline Resist Techniques in Your Art Journal

    September 8, 2023
  • Art Tag using Scribble Stick Watercolor Technique and Brene Brown Quote on Vellum
    Projects,  Techniques

    Scribble Sticks Watercolor Technique

    September 17, 2021 /

    Have you ever tried Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks in your creative practice? Today I will show you an easy Scribble Sticks watercolor technique that can be used for a card, in a journal or on a tag. What are Scribble Sticks? Scribble Sticks are a pigment-based stick that writes similarly to a crayon. They are also water soluble, so you can use them for watercolor techniques. As these have a different binder than watercolor paints, the blending effects you can get with these sticks is unique. The benefit of the Scribble Sticks is that they can be added on surfaces that traditional watercolor paints would not work well on. You…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Embracing Self-Worth and Values, Hand Holding Compass

    Embracing Self-Worth: Connecting Values and Identity

    August 9, 2019
    How to Paint Watercolor Backgrounds

    How to Paint Watercolor Backgrounds

    February 14, 2020
    Art Tags with Black Paper Backgrounds created with stencils, stamps, inks and paint pen

    How to Use Black Paper Backgrounds with Inks and Pens

    November 5, 2021
  • How to Blend With Pan Pastels Art Journaling Project
    Art Journal

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

    July 23, 2021 /

    Do you ever struggle with how to layer and use Pan Pastels? Today we will be exploring how to blend Pan Pastels using Sofft tools in this art journal project. Learning to Use Art Mediums New art mediums are exciting to learn, but they can sometimes feel difficult to master. It can look so easy when you see a demonstration, but your own experience may be different. Ever new art medium takes time and patience to master. By changing our expectations towards new mediums, and accepting that there will be trial and error, the process of learning can be so much more enjoyable. Blending Pan Pastels Pan Pastels are a…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Organize 684 Pens, Pencils, and Markers

    April 12, 2024
    Finding A New Normal

    Finding a New Normal

    May 29, 2020
    How to Paint Watercolor Backgrounds

    How to Paint Watercolor Backgrounds

    February 14, 2020
  • Watercolor Landscape Paint Along with Gouache
    Art Journal

    Watercolor Landscape Paint Along

    June 11, 2021 /

    Today’s project is a watercolor landscape paint along using gouache. I love using landscapes in my art journal pages. Creating landscapes is great practice for understanding how different art mediums work together. For this watercolor paint along we will be using colored pencils, acrylic paint, gouache, and ink to make a dynamic mixed media art journal page. What is Gouache? If you have never used gouache in a project, it is an opaque watercolor medium. It has similar pigments and binders as watercolor paints, but includes a white filler, such as chalk, which makes these paints opaque. Gouache provides a different result than watercolor. The opaque nature of the paint…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Paint a Night Sky

    How to Paint a Night Sky

    February 19, 2021
    Art Journaling Project "How did I end up here?"

    Art Journaling Project “How did I end up here?”

    May 6, 2019
    Easy Art Journal Project Using Wild Whisper Designs Until We Eat Again Collection

    Easy Art Journal Project: Jumping into Art Journaling

    July 16, 2021
  • Mixed Media Tag Nature Does Not Hurry
    Projects

    Mixed Media Tag “Nature Does Not Hurry”

    June 4, 2021 /

    Today I will be sharing how to create this easy mixed media tag using patterned paper, stencils, and inks. Tags are a great way to try out techniques. They are small, quick to create on and can be added into other projects. I often use my tags in my creative journal, as bookmarks or use them in greeting cards. As these tags can be completed quickly, usually under 20 minutes, this makes them an important part of a creative self-care routine. The Intention For this week’s mixed media tag, the inspiration came from this quote: Nature does not hurry and yet everything is accomplished. We often rush through our daily…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    July 1, 2022
    Neurographic Art Blended with Pan Pastels

    Neurographic Art with Pan Pastels

    March 25, 2022
    “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 create layers using ink blending
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Create Layers Using Ink Blending

    April 16, 2021 /

    Creating in a journal is a great self-care practice but it can be challenging to add layers and dimension to a page. Today we will discuss how to create layers using ink blending in your creative projects. Layering Inks Layering inks is a great way of creating dimension in your projects. There are several things to consider when you are creating layers with your inks: Color Values In my last article I shared about how to use color values when creating a monochromatic project. By using a variety of color values this creates different shades and intensity of color, which adds dimension to your project. Type of Ink Certain types…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Finding Joy in the Little Things

    Finding Joy in the Little Things

    June 14, 2019
    Beginner Friendly Acrylic Painting Techniques

    5 Beginner Friendly Acrylic Painting Techniques

    May 13, 2022
    Watercolor Pigment Powders Brusho Crystal Colours, Lindy's Gang Magicals and Nuvo Shimmer Powders how to use on watercolor paper

    Watercolor Powders Demystified! You need to Try these!

    April 18, 2025
  • Scrapbooking Page Using Alcohol Inks with Stencils and Stamping
    Projects,  Techniques

    Using Alcohol Inks with Stencils

    April 2, 2021 /

    Have you ever tried using alcohol inks with stencils on a large project? It can sometimes be challenging using stencils with alcohol inks because of the loose nature of the medium. If the stencil is smaller than the surface that you are using, it can leave harsh lines detracting from the overall design. Layering Alcohol Inks One of the ways to prevent harsh lines in your alcohol ink project is by layering alcohol inks. One thing to keep in mind when using this technique is that when you add more ink, it rewets and often resists the ink below. When it resists, the ink will push the previous layer of…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    Creative Stamping with Watercolor Markers

    February 11, 2022
    Basic art journal techniques using acrylic paint and napkins

    New to Art Journaling? Basic Techniques using Paints and Napkins

    January 27, 2023
    Embracing Self-Worth and Values, Hand Holding Compass

    Embracing Self-Worth: Connecting Values and Identity

    August 9, 2019
  • How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts
    Projects

    How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts

    March 5, 2021 /

    Have you ever had frustrations when working with small die cut images? This week we will be talking about how to cut and color intricate die cuts successfully. I will be sharing a few of my favorite materials and tips on how to get successful images every time. The Challenges with Cutting Die Cuts There can be many challenges when working with die cuts, especially delicate ones. It takes some trial and error to figure out the best way to run the die cuts through your machine so that they will cut consistently.  Here are 3 tips that will help you get consistent die cuts. Using a Quality Die Cut…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    5 Creative Techniques with Watercolor Markers

    5 Creative Techniques with Watercolor Markers

    February 25, 2022
    Art Journal Project: The Courage to Be Seen

    Having the Courage to be Seen

    September 12, 2020
    Neurographic Art Blended with Pan Pastels

    Neurographic Art with Pan Pastels

    March 25, 2022
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.

Categories

  • Art Classes
  • 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 (17) Art Journaling (61) Art Tutorials (156) Art Videos (162) Awareness (19) Blending Color (22) Card Making (16) Card Tutorials (11) Christmas (9) collage (14) Creative Foundations (24) Creativity (28) Drawing (12) Embossing (11) Gelli Plate (9) Gelli Printing (17) Goal Setting (9) Ink Blending (13) Inking (42) Inks (11) Making Good Choices (12) Mental Health (32) Mindfulness (24) Mixed Media (12) Mixed Media Art (16) napkins (9) Self-Care (47) Self-Care Activities (16) Self-Care Videos (33) Self-Discovery (14) Stamping (62) Stencilling (48) stencils (9) Tim Holtz Distress (23) Values (9) Watercolor (14) Watercolor Basics (13) Watercolor Painting (19) Wild Whisper Designs (21)

Recent Posts

  • gel plate printing for beginnersHow to Start Gel Printing with Zero Experience
    In Techniques
  • How to use watercolor powders with stencilsThe Best Way to Use Watercolor Powders with Stencils
    In Techniques
  • Watercolor Pigment Powders Brusho Crystal Colours, Lindy's Gang Magicals and Nuvo Shimmer Powders how to use on watercolor paperWatercolor Powders Demystified! You need to Try these!
    In Techniques
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