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The Art of Self-Care

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  • CLASSES
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  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
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  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
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  • 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
  • Paint Your Season's Greetings: Simple Watercolor Christmas Card Designs
    Projects,  Techniques

    Paint Your Season’s Greetings with Simple Watercolor Christmas Cards

    December 1, 2023 /

    Looking for ideas for simple watercolor Christmas cards? With the Christmas season approaching, we may want to make homemade Christmas cards. But it can feel really overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. How do you come up with a simple design that’s effective and easy to make? And most importantly, a design that you can easily replicate so that you can give all your favorite people a hand-made card. Today I’m sharing with you beginner-friendly and simple watercolor Christmas cards. This is a great way to practice your basic watercolor skills and make a bunch of beautiful cards quickly and easily. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    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
    Travel Greeting Card Using Photos and Wild Whisper Designs Road Trip Paper Collection

    How to Make a Travel Greeting Card

    June 18, 2021
    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    July 1, 2022
  • How to Create a Colorful Mandala Using the Color Wheel
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Create a Colorful Mandala Using the Color Wheel

    May 12, 2023 /

    New to mandalas and color theory? Learn how to create a colorful mandala by combining these two techniques. If you were following along last week, we were talking about how to use the color wheel to create unique color combinations in the art journal. Today we will paint a color wheel and then turn it into a beautiful, colorful mandala.   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 Create a Color Wheel The mandala and color wheel have a similar structure. By creating the shape of a color wheel, this takes…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Goal Setting During the Summer

    Goal Setting During the Summer

    July 10, 2020
    Fall Leaf Card Project

    Fall Leaf Card Project

    November 6, 2020
    altered photo techniques for your art journal

    Mixed Media Magic: Altered Photo Techniques for Your Art Journal

    October 27, 2023
  • Circle Drawings Tools including Compass Helix Circle and Angle Maker and Helix Circle Ruler
    Techniques

    Choosing the Best Circle Tools for Drawing

    April 29, 2022 /

    Circles can be challenging to draw, but there are a variety of circle tools for drawing available to make the process so much easier. Whether you are drawing mandalas or creating circular shapes, choosing the right circle tool can make or break your project. I have recently discovered some inexpensive but super useful tools for drawing circles. Today I will review my favorite circle tools for drawing and how to choose the best circle maker for your creative practice. 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 Use a Circle Tool for Drawing?…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    How to Gelli Print on Canvas

    How to Gelli Print on Canvas

    July 8, 2022
    How to use watercolor powders with stencils

    The Best Way to Use Watercolor Powders with Stencils

    April 26, 2025
    How to Paint a Night Sky

    How to Paint a Night Sky

    February 19, 2021
  • Nadine Milton Value Drawing of Moraine Lake
    Artist's Journey,  Techniques

    My Journey in Learning How to Draw

    April 1, 2022 /

    Learning how to draw can feel challenging and intimidating. Many of us learn to draw as children but don’t practice drawing as we get older. As an adult, how do we regain our drawing skills and improve on them? Today I will be sharing a few simple ideas to start you drawing again and my personal journey in this process through a drawing course.  I Can’t Draw Have you ever told anyone that you can’t draw? I have said these words too many times over the last few years. Learning how to draw has always been an area where I struggled. Often I compared my work to others and felt…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Living in the Moment Art Journal Page Paint Tutorial

    Living in the Moment: An Art Journal Painting Tutorial on Denim

    August 27, 2021
    7 Techniques using Zebra Mildliner Mix Pens

    7 Unique Ways to Use Zebra Mildliner Mix Pens

    August 3, 2024
    Layering Details using Caran d'Ache Technalo Water Soluble Graphite Pencils

    How to use Water Soluble Graphite

    June 17, 2022
  • Neurographic Art Blended with Pan Pastels
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Neurographic Art with Pan Pastels

    March 25, 2022 /

    If you haven’t tried neurographic art, this is a great self-care exercise for your creative practice. I was recently introduced to neurographic art by a subscriber on my YouTube channel and wanted to show you how to do this easy technique using blendable Pan Pastels. 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. If you are new to art journaling or a creative practice, knowing where to start can be half the challenge. The beauty of neurographic art is that you don’t have to have art experience to enjoy this technique. It is…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    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
    Art Journaling Project with Tissue Paper Collage

    Art Journaling with Tissue Paper Collage

    January 21, 2022
    Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages

    Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages

    November 18, 2022
  • Contour Drawing with Watercolor and Wax Resist
    Techniques

    Loosen Up with Contour Drawing and Painterly Effects

    January 7, 2022 /

    Do you ever struggle with drawing and getting overwhelmed by the details? Contour drawing is a great way to loosen up your drawing practice. Today I will share with you how to create a contour drawing and how to create painterly effects using watercolor paints. What is Contour Drawing? Contour drawing is the practice of drawing an outline of the subject using one continuous line. When contour drawing you do not take your pen off the page as you draw. The benefit of contour drawing is that it defines the basic shape by creating a line drawing. If you tend to get stuck in the details when drawing, this technique…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Finding A New Normal

    Finding a New Normal

    May 29, 2020
    Art Journal Textured Background Techniques with Acrylic Mediums

    Textured Background Techniques for the Art Journal

    March 11, 2022
    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    December 4, 2020
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    February 21, 2020
    3 Lessons I Learned from Daring Greatly

    3 Lessons I Learned from Daring Greatly

    April 10, 2020
    Collage Techniques with Tissue Paper Gelli Prints

    Unique Collage Techniques with Tissue Paper Gel Prints

    July 15, 2022
  • Which Pen To Choose? The Search for the Best Permanent Pen
    Techniques

    The Search for the Best Permanent Pen

    October 29, 2021 /

    Have you discovered the best permanent pen for your creative practice? If you haven’t, then you are not alone. It can be overwhelming. There are so many choices for permanent pens! When choosing the best permanent pen for you, it is a very personal decision. Today I will be sharing some of my favorites and what I consider when purchasing a pen. Permanent or Water-Soluble? For today, I will be focusing on permanent pens and will leave water-soluble pens out of the discussion. What you look for in a permanent pen versus a water-soluble pen is vastly different. If you would be interested in my thoughts on water-soluble pens, let…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Mixed Media Tag Nature Does Not Hurry

    Mixed Media Tag “Nature Does Not Hurry”

    June 4, 2021
    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    February 3, 2023
    Stamping Tips and Techniques Stamping with Ink and Paint

    Stamping Tips and Techniques

    April 30, 2021
  • Doodling with Stencils with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Posca Paint Pens
    Projects,  Techniques

    Doodling with Stencils: Using Stencils to Improve your Drawing Skills

    October 22, 2021 /

    Have you ever mixed doodling with stencils into your art journal or creative projects? Stencils can be very helpful when practicing improving drawing skills. Starting with a defined shape can be helpful and inspire creativity. Why Use Stencils? Why use stencils to improve your drawing skills? Stencils have defined shapes that can be traced onto a project. From there you can add your own drawing and doodling to add texture and dimension to an image. It’s an easy place to discover your own style and creativity. When we start learning to draw, many of us end up staring at a blank piece of paper. That’s a hard place to be.…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Mixed Media Collage Using Paper, Acetate and Fabric Tape

    Mixed Media Collage Techniques You Need to Try!

    March 21, 2025
    Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19

    Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19

    April 3, 2020
    My first mixed media page in the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal

    My First Impressions of the Dina Wakley Ledger Journal

    March 14, 2025
  • Detail of Leaf Rubbings Art Journal Page using Caran d'Ache Neocolor 1 Wax Pastels and Tombow Fudenosuke Pen
    Techniques

    Using Leaf Rubbings and Ink for Drawing Practice

    October 15, 2021 /

    Do you ever feel like learning to draw is a struggle? Using leaf rubbings and ink for drawing practice can be a fun way to gain confidence with your drawing skills. Finding Inspiration from Nature I have found so much inspiration from nature this fall. My walks in the city have been full of beautiful colors as the leave change as it gets colder. I started the habit of collecting interesting leaves on my walks and was able to even find leaves from trees that are less common in our area, like oaks and maples. Enjoying these beautiful leaves and being inspired by Inktober, I wanted to focus on the…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    moving past creative blocks by sketching in the garden Nadine Milton

    Feeling Stuck? 5 Ways for Moving Past Creative Blocks

    August 20, 2021
    Fold Up Book Instax Mini Album Using Wild Whisper Designs paper and Local King Rubber Stamps

    One Page Fold Up Book: Instax Mini Album

    July 2, 2021
    Everything is Figure-outable Art Journaling Page with Fluid Acrylics

    Using Fluid Acrylics in the Art Journal

    July 22, 2022
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

  • 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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