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3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!
Do you ever feel like some of your mixed media pages look a bit blah? Or maybe you’re part of the way through your art journal page and you don’t know how to finish it off. This is a common problem when working with art journaling and mixed media. Today I’m taking 3 of my own unfinished and underwhelming pages and we’ll transform them together. Along the way, I’ll show you exactly what’s going wrong and how to fix it. 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 Unfinished Mixed Media Page…
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Easy Art Journal Page Using Paper
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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What is Art Journaling and Why Should I Try It?
If you’re new to art journaling you may be asking yourself this question: “What is art journaling and why should I try it?” Today I’d like to share with you my thoughts on the importance of art journaling and the three reasons why I think everyone should art journal. What is Art Journaling? Art journaling, also known as creative journaling or visual journaling, is a way for us to express our thoughts and feelings in a creative manner. Think of it as a journal not only using words but also imagery, color, and texture. Art journal pages can be very complex or simple depending on what you want to get…
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Lessons in the Creative Process: My Adventure with Book Binding
Do you ever want to learn a new art skill or technique but don’t know where to start? I had that experience this last weekend. I wanted to learn how to rebind a used book and add new paper and I wasn’t sure how to go about it. Today I will be sharing with you lessons in the creative process and some of the things I learned through my adventures in book binding. I’ve been dabbling with book binding on and off over the last couple years. Once or twice a year I’ll play around with book binding but with very mixed success. The books I have made up to…
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Feeling Stuck? 5 Ways for Moving Past Creative Blocks
Have you ever had those moments of feeling completely uninspired? Do you ever struggle with the creative blocks that many of us experience? If so, you are not alone. Creative blocks come and go but they feel impossible to overcome in the moment when you are experiencing a block. How to Move Past a Creative Block Moving past a creative block is not always easy, but there are things that you can do to try to spur creativity and move past these uninspired moments. Here are some ideas of things you can try to move past a creative block. Creative Play Give yourself time for creative play to move past…
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Snowflake Christmas Card
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…
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Urban Sketching for Self-Care
We all need activities to help with our self-care practice. I recently took up urban sketching for self-care and I’m finding it’s a great tool for exercising mindfulness. What is Urban Sketching? What is Urban Sketching? If you are not familiar with the practice, it is about drawing on location and sharing the stories of the places you live and travel. I started exploring Urban Sketching just over a year ago when I met the Calgary Urban Sketcher group at a demo at Kensington Art Supply & Instruction in Calgary. At the demo I was able to meet the members of the group, browse their sketchbooks and talk to them…
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Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images
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…
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How to Use Alcohol Inks and Stencils
In this week’s project I will show you how to use alcohol inks and stencils to create this beautiful card. I originally created this card for my husband’s birthday in July. The idea came from watching videos by Tim Holtz on some interesting ways to use alcohol inks. This inspired me to add them to my own creative practice. Card Making as a Self-Care Practice I use card making as a self-care practice in my life. Making handmade cards brings joy to the people around me. I enjoy coming up with new card designs, and it is also a great way of trying out a technique on a small surface.…
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Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes
This week I have an art journal page tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes to share with you. I was thinking about worthiness and how we can often struggle with feeling good enough. It is easy for us to look to others for assurance that we are worthy and that we have value. Instead, realizing that we are valuable, not by what we do but by who we already are. Inspired by Daring Greatly This page was inspired by Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. This book was part of my reading list for 2020 and I shared my lessons from Daring Greatly earlier this year. Daring Greatly is a very…
The Art of Self-Care
