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The Art of Self-Care

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  • CLASSES
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  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • 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
  • Mixed Media Shaker Card Using Distress Glazes, Brusho Crystal Colours and Wild Whisper Designs Paper and sequins
    Projects,  Techniques

    How to Create a Mixed Media Shaker Card

    November 19, 2021 /

    With Christmas just around the corner I wanted to show you how to create an easy mixed media shaker card. I love making cards around Christmastime. It is one of my favorite Christmas traditions! The process of coming up with unique designs, writing messages to my friends and family and sending them through the mail brings me great joy. I remember as a child my parents getting dozens and dozens of Christmas cards with family updates and kind messages inside. The practice of giving and receiving cards is not as popular as it used to be. But I believe it makes giving or receiving a handmade card so much more…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    How to get the best results with napkin decoupage

    New to Napkin Decoupage? Start HERE!

    June 28, 2024
    Collage with Dried Leaves in Your Art Journal

    How to Collage with Dried Leaves in Your Journal

    October 21, 2022
    My first mixed media page in the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal

    My First Impressions of the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal

    March 14, 2025
  • Travel Greeting Card Using Photos and Wild Whisper Designs Road Trip Paper Collection
    Projects

    How to Make a Travel Greeting Card

    June 18, 2021 /

    Today we will talk about how to make a travel greeting card using beautiful paper and your personal photos. When I create cards, it is usually an art card or a photo card. This week, I thought I would show you how you can these two creative styles together. Creating a Travel Greeting Card Creating a travel greeting card with photos and other elements can be challenging. The key is figuring out the right balance for these images so that the card feels cohesive. For this card, I used a landscape photo with die cut imagery. By using a simpler photo, this allowed the die cuts to add to the…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Finding A New Normal

    Finding a New Normal

    May 29, 2020
    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    October 7, 2020
    Easy Art Journal Project Using Wild Whisper Designs Until We Eat Again Collection

    Easy Art Journal Project: Jumping into Art Journaling

    July 16, 2021
  • Detail of Heart Focal Image from Valentine's Day Slimline Card
    Projects

    Valentine’s Day Slimline Card

    February 12, 2021 /

    As Valentine’s Day is just days away, I wanted to share with you how to make a Valentine’s Day slimline card. Valentine’s Day cards are fun to make, but what if you want to move away from more conventional colors for these cards? In this tutorial we will be creating a card that does not use red or pink, but the more muted greys and greens. Slimline Cards Slimline cards seem to be everywhere. The style and dimension of these cards lead to some great creative possibilities. The panoramic style of them allows you to approach creativity and cardmaking in a different way. When used in an upright format, the…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    4 Lessons I Learned From Almost Anxious

    4 Lessons I Learned from Almost Anxious

    June 5, 2020
    Gift Ideas for Artists

    The Best Gifts for Artists that Love Watercolor and Acrylic Paint

    November 5, 2022
    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    December 2, 2022
  • Easy Brusho Christmas Card
    Projects

    Easy Brusho Christmas Card

    December 22, 2020 /

    As Christmas is only a few days away and the pace of the season can get a little hectic, I wanted to share this easy Brusho Christmas Card. This card does not take long to make, but the simplicity of the design makes for a very effective card. My hope is that this easy Christmas card project will give you an opportunity for creative self-care. Easy Brusho Christmas Card Creating the Brusho Paper The first step of this easy Brusho Christmas Card is to color the paper to be used for the Christmas tree shape. Using 90lb watercolor paper I spritz water onto the surface, tap out the Brusho powders…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Creating an Art Journal Page Using Paper Glossy Accents and Distress Crayons

    Easy Art Journal Page Using Paper

    September 16, 2022
    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
    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 2020
  • Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card
    Projects

    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    December 4, 2020 /

    This week I want to share with you one of my favorite easy alcohol ink Christmas card designs. I love using alcohol inks and Yupo as these mediums work so well together. I find the process of using alcohol inks to be very relaxing. It is an opportunity to create is a less structured manner and allows me to find mindfulness in the moment. Alcohol Ink Christmas Card What I love about this easy alcohol ink Christmas card is that every card is unique and different. The nature of ink is to flow and when used with Yupo, which is a slippery surface, you can get unexpected results. This means…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    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 fix disappearing napkin art with these simple steps

    My Napkin Art is Disappearing! 3 Easy Ways to Recover Images

    April 28, 2023
    The Season of Self-Discovery

    The Season of Self-Discovery

    May 13, 2019
  • How to Make a Simple Christmas Card
    Projects

    How to Make a Simple Christmas Card

    November 27, 2020 /

    As Christmas is drawing near, I wanted to share with you how to make a simple Christmas Card using stamps. It is easy to get wrapped up in completing elaborate projects around Christmastime, but sometimes our intentions and our available time do not align. Today I want to share a simple Christmas Card that can be completed under 10 minutes. Card Making for Self Care Card making is an essential part of my seasonal self care. It presents an opportunity to sit down for a few minutes and make something simple and creative. We often get so busy that we do not take time to pause, to rest and regroup.…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    wet-on-wet watercolor techniques mixing colors

    Easy Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Techniques for Beginners

    October 28, 2022
    The Season of Self-Discovery

    The Season of Self-Discovery

    May 13, 2019
    Which Pen To Choose? The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    October 29, 2021
  • Snowflake Christmas Card
    Projects

    Snowflake Christmas Card

    November 20, 2020 /

    As we are coming up to the Christmas season, I wanted to share this simple snowflake Christmas card project. Card making during the holidays can be a great self care practice. It is an opportunity to use our creativity to bless others through the gift of a beautiful and simple card. Relaxation Through Creativity The process of making Christmas cards is very relaxing and rejuvenating. I enjoy the process of coming up with simple card designs. Though I enjoy making cards, I also love my time in my art journal and painting canvases. This means that I usually do not spend hours and hours working on a single card. That…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    moving past creative blocks by sketching in the garden Nadine Milton

    Feeling Stuck? 5 Ways for Moving Past Creative Blocks

    August 20, 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
    Beginner Friendly Acrylic Painting Techniques

    5 Beginner Friendly Acrylic Painting Techniques

    May 13, 2022
  • Fall Leaf Card Project
    Projects

    Fall Leaf Card Project

    November 6, 2020 /

    Are you looking for some creative inspiration for this fall season? Fall leaves have been part of my inspiration for the last month, including this fall leaf card project. In Calgary I feel so fortunate to have enjoyed such a beautiful fall. Between the mild weather, changing leaves and sunny, crisp days, it has been a beautiful season.   Thanksgiving and Gratitude Thanksgiving in Canada was in October, but as Thanksgiving in the USA is coming up soon, I thought sharing this fall leaf card project was rather timely. During this time of pandemic, it may be harder to visit family for the holiday celebrations.  But there is no reason…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Paint Your Season's Greetings: Simple Watercolor Christmas Card Designs

    Paint Your Season’s Greetings with Simple Watercolor Christmas Cards

    December 1, 2023
    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
    Rabbit acrylic painting on top of gelli printing collage

    4 Ideas for Using Gelli Printing in Your Projects

    May 22, 2020
  • Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images
    Projects,  Techniques

    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    August 28, 2020 /

    Today I wanted to share with you a way of adding your own art to stencil images. Many of us struggle with our drawing skills, so we often use stamps or stencils to help us create images that we are happy with. I was working on a scrapbook page recently and wanted a focal image that was larger than any of the stamps I owned. When I was looking for an image I found a stencil that was the correct size but it lacked the detail that I wanted for an image. The thought came to me, “Why not just add in the detail by adding in my own art…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Everything is Figure-outable Art Journaling Page with Fluid Acrylics

    Using Fluid Acrylics in the Art Journal

    July 22, 2022
    Watercolor Landscape Paint Along with Gouache

    Watercolor Landscape Paint Along

    June 11, 2021
    Abstract Holiday Cards Made with Paper Scraps from Simply Stated Design Golden Evergreen Papers

    Use Your Scraps to Make Stunning Holiday Cards

    December 8, 2025
  • Wet on Wet Watercolor Technique
    Projects,  Techniques

    Wet on Wet Watercolor Technique

    July 31, 2020 /

    This week’s project is an easy watercolor card using a wet on wet watercolor technique. I have been watercolor painting more lately as part of my personal self-care routine. Setting up your space for watercolor painting is so easy. All you need is watercolor paints, water and a watercolor sketchbook or a pad of watercolor paper. The easy set up gives you more time to paint when you don’t have unlimited time. Lately, I’ve only had about a half hour a day for painting, but I can do a lot in that time when I am painting with watercolors.   Part of building a healthy self-care habit is making a…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Gift Ideas for Artists

    The Best Gifts for Artists that Love Watercolor and Acrylic Paint

    November 5, 2022
    How to tint acrylic pastes and gels

    From White to WOW: How to Tint Acrylic Pastes

    August 1, 2025
    How to Collage with Tissue Paper and Acetate in the art journal

    How to Collage with Tissue Paper and Acetate

    June 16, 2023
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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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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