Hop-A-Long Studio

The Art of Self-Care

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  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
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  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • 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
  • Festive and Fabulous Gel Print Holiday Cards
    Art Classes,  Techniques

    The Best DIY Gel Print Holiday Cards

    December 5, 2025 /

    Are you looking for inspiring ideas for using your gel plate to make fabulous gel print holiday cards? The gel plate is so versatile. You can use any color combination and imagery to create one-of-a-kind papers and cards. If you’ve never used a gel plate, it’s so fun and completely addicting! If you’re anything like me, you’ll sit down to do a few gel prints and will end up with dozens of them! The Gel Plate Problem When I am teaching, I usually get these two questions about gel plate printing. How Do I Get Consistent Prints? Gel plate printing can feel impossible at the beginning if you’re creating on…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Art Journaling Project with Tissue Paper Collage

    Art Journaling with Tissue Paper Collage

    January 21, 2022
    How to create unique color combinations in the art journal using a color wheel

    How to use a Color Wheel to Create Unique Art Journal Color Combinations

    May 5, 2023
    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
  • Layered gel plates created by Nadine Milton
    Techniques

    How to Master Gel Print Layers in Monoprinting

    June 13, 2025 /

    Are you struggling with creating beautiful layers with your gel prints? If so, you’re not alone. You may have seen so many articles and videos that may look simple but you’re still struggling to get great results. Join me as I show you two different ways I create layered prints with my gel plate to get the best results every time! 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. Embrace Imperfection The hard thing about gel plate printing with layers is that you might have a great idea. But you try it and it…

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    Nadine Milton

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    3 Ways to Use Brusho Crystal Colours

    3 Ways to Use Brusho Crystal Colours

    December 18, 2020
    Deco Foil Christmas Cards Merry and Bright

    Deco Foil Christmas Card “Merry and Bright”

    December 3, 2021
    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Merry Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 25, 2020
  • gel plate printing for beginners
    Techniques

    How to Start Gel Printing with Zero Experience

    May 3, 2025 /

    Do you have a brand-new gel plate with no idea how to use it? Gel plate printing fun and beautiful art form is so relaxing and creative, but there’s tricks for getting the best results with your plate. Let’s pull out our gel plates as I share with you everything you need to know to get started with gel printing. 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. Learning to Gel Print for the First Time When I started gel printing many years ago, I started by watching videos. But I found learning how…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    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 tint acrylic pastes and gels

    From White to WOW: How to Tint Acrylic Pastes

    August 1, 2025
    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    September 16, 2023
  • v
    Techniques

    How to Create Gelli Prints with 5 Types of Ink

    August 19, 2022 /

    When learning how to create gelli prints with inks, it can be hard to know which ink to choose. There are so many to choose from. What ink is the most vibrant? What inks will stain your gel plate? Today we will cover 5 popular inks and how they work with the gelli plate on both gloss paper and cardstock. 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 Gelli Print with Inks The basic technique to create gelli prints with inks is the same as paint. To create a beautiful print, apply…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Painting in the Art Journal: Drawing Inspiration from Another Artist’s Style

    Painting in the Art Journal: Trying a New Style

    June 25, 2023
    Art Journal Project Using Watercolor Paint and Distress Stains

    Art Journal Project Using Watercolor Paint and Distress Stains

    June 19, 2020
    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
  • 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…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    3 Lessons from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

    3 Lessons from The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

    May 1, 2020
    Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays

    Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays

    December 17, 2019
    4 lessons from start with why

    4 Lessons from Start With Why

    March 6, 2020
  • 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

    Techniques for Creating Beautiful Layers with Alcohol Ink

    Techniques for Creating Beautiful Layers with Alcohol Inks

    December 16, 2022
    Hoppy Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Hoppy Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 24, 2021
    How to Create Stunning Image Transfers with Isolation Layers

    How to Create Stunning Image Transfers with Isolation Layers

    September 30, 2023
  • How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper
    Techniques

    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    July 1, 2022 /

    Looking for new surfaces to use with your gel plate? Gelli printing on tissue paper is so easy and you can get amazing results by keeping a few things in mind. There are so many surfaces that you can use with your gel plate, but each surface requires small adjustments in technique to get consistent results. Tissue paper is delicate, but it’s stronger than you might think. Using these techniques can get you consistent results every time! 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. Choosing the Right Tissue Paper There are many types…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Coloring with Inks and Watercolor Crayons

    Coloring with Inks and Watercolor Crayons

    March 26, 2021
    Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays

    Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays

    December 17, 2019
    Welcome to Hop-A-Long Studio

    Welcome to Hop-A-Long Studio

    April 22, 2019
  • Gelli Plate Printing Textures with Leaves
    Techniques

    Gelli Plate Printing with Leaves

    June 24, 2022 /

    Gel plate printing with leaves is a fun and easy technique that lets us get outside to find beautiful textures. Summer in Canada is short. So, I make a point to get outside and incorporate nature in my art journal and gel plate printing projects. Today I am sharing my favorite techniques for Gel plate printing with leaves and how to get good results with organic materials. 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. Finding Leaves for Your Prints Now that summer is upon us, I’ve been spending a lot of time out…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Gel print art journal page featuring hummingbirds and flowers

    Gel Print Collage Techniques You’ll Love

    July 18, 2025
    Amazing Art Journal Page Using a Vaseline Resist Technique

    How to Create Vaseline Resist Techniques in Your Art Journal

    September 8, 2023
    Basic art journal techniques using acrylic paint and napkins

    New to Art Journaling? Basic Techniques using Paints and Napkins

    January 27, 2023
  • Art Journal Page Using Gel Textures and Gel Prints
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Creating Art Journal Textures with Gelli Prints

    April 22, 2022 /

    I love creating textures in my art journal and Gelli prints are a great starting point for adding depth in any project. I’ve been experimenting with ways to add textures on my Gelli prints so that they pop on my journal pages. Today’s art journal page covers several easy techniques for altering gel prints with a variety of mediums and tools. 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. Creating Shapes Lately I have been enamored with simple shapes in my art journal projects like circles and rectangles. I recently discovered the Helix Circle…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Dealing with Loss During the Holiday Season

    Dealing with Loss During the Holiday Season

    December 5, 2019
    How to Use Watercolors with Stencils

    How to use Watercolors with Stencils

    August 26, 2022
    Gelli Printing with Die Cuts

    Gelli Printing with Die Cuts

    February 26, 2021

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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