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  • SHOP
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  • CLASSES
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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
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    tissue paper collage with chipboard and gems

    The Secret to Stunning Collages…use Tissue Paper!

    March 7, 2025
    5 Creative Techniques with Watercolor Markers

    5 Creative Techniques with Watercolor Markers

    February 25, 2022
    How to get the most textured collage in your art journal

    Create the Ultimate Textured Collage with this Technique

    August 23, 2025
  • 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

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    Stamped Background Used for Greeting Card and Softcover Book using Stampers Anonymous Stamps and Pan Pastels

    Stamped Background for Moving Past a Creative Block

    August 6, 2021
    12 books to read in 2020

    12 Books to Read in 2020

    January 7, 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
  • Struggling with Contrast when Gelli Printing? Here’s How to Fix It
    Techniques

    Struggling with Contrast when Gelli Printing? Here’s How to Fix It

    December 8, 2023 /

    Are you struggling with contrast when gelli printing? This is a common challenge when monoprinting with a gel plate. There is always experimentation when playing with monoprinting. You won’t always be able to control the result. But here are a few tips and ideas to help you get great results when creating contrasting gelli prints. 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. Leaving Objects on the Gelli Plate when Printing You may be struggling with contrast with your gelli prints because you don’t have enough contrast between the elements. Start by adding a…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice Hop-A-Long Studio

    Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice

    May 27, 2022
    How to fix disappearing napkin art with these simple steps

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

    April 28, 2023
    How to Blend With Pan Pastels Art Journaling Project

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

    July 23, 2021
  • 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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    Art Journal Project Using Watercolor Paint and Distress Stains

    Art Journal Project Using Watercolor Paint and Distress Stains

    June 19, 2020
    Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays

    Coping with Anxiety during the Holidays

    December 17, 2019
    Best Acrylic Paint Pens Paint Marker Comparison Hop-A-Long Studio

    The Best Acrylic Paint Pens: A Paint Marker Comparison

    July 9, 2021
  • 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

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    Glass Painting Techniques with Pebeo Vitrea 160 Glass Paint

    Easy Glass Painting Techniques with Pebeo Vitrea 160

    March 24, 2023

    Mystified by Acrylic Pastes? How to Color Pastes in 1 Easy Step!

    March 3, 2023
    gel plate printing with leaves and grasses

    Unique & Easy Gel Printing with Leaves and Grasses

    September 19, 2025
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Festive and Fabulous Gel Print Holiday Cards

    The Best DIY Gel Print Holiday Cards

    December 5, 2025
    moving past creative blocks by sketching in the garden Nadine Milton

    Feeling Stuck? 5 Ways for Moving Past Creative Blocks

    August 20, 2021
    Canvas of Intentions Mixed Media Canvas Class

    Looking for a Creative Start to The New Year?

    January 9, 2025
  • 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…

    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 Find Rest During COVID-19

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 2020
    Goal Setting During COVID-19

    Goal Setting During COVID-19

    April 24, 2020
  • Gelli Print Feather Focal Image Technique
    Techniques

    Creating Beautiful Textures by Gelli Printing with Stencils

    April 15, 2022 /

    Gelli printing with stencils is an easy way to create beautiful and unique textures for your art journal and creative projects. If you are new to the gel plate, gelli printing with stencils is an easy way to get comfortable with the medium. I discovered gel printing many years ago, but my first experience with printing was so frustrating! I would see videos that made the technique look so easy, but I never got consistent results. Thankfully, I was able to take an in-person art class with an excellent instructor. Since then, I’ve been hooked on the medium! In this tutorial I will share what I have learned about using…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    The Intuitive Collage Process | How to Get Past a Creative Block

    The Intuitive Collage Process | How to Get Past a Creative Block

    June 12, 2023
    My Experience with Therapy

    My Experience with Therapy

    October 9, 2020
    Mixed Media Art Journal Page Summer Days

    Mixed Media Art Journal Page – Hot Summer Days

    August 13, 2021
  • Printing with Gelli Plate Minis Gelli Printing Plates
    Techniques

    Printing with Gelli Plate Minis

    September 3, 2021 /

    Are you looking for a new technique for your mixed media practice? Today I will be demonstrating printing with the Gelli plate minis and how these differ from larger Gelli plates. It is always nice to try new things and discovering these little plates has opened many creative doors in my art practice. What are Gelli Plate Minis? Gelli Arts Mini gel printing plates are smaller versions of the Gelli printing plates and come in a variety of shapes. The collection of Gelli plate minis I have are oval, rectangle, and hexagon but they also come in shapes including triangle, circle, octagon, and diamond. The oval, rectangle, and hexagon Gelli…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    May 1, 2026
    How to Create a Colorful Mandala Using the Color Wheel

    How to Create a Colorful Mandala Using the Color Wheel

    May 12, 2023
    Art Journal Page Using Distress Embossing Glazes, Stampers Anonymous Mod Cactus Stamps and Wild Whisper Designs Brush Script Stamp Set

    Distress Embossing Glaze Techniques for the Art Journal

    April 8, 2022
  • Stamping Tips and Techniques Stamping with Ink and Paint
    Techniques

    Stamping Tips and Techniques

    April 30, 2021 /

    Do you use stamped images in your creative projects? Today we will be covering stamping tips and techniques using ink and paint that will help you get consistent results. Stamping is a huge part of my creative practice. If you find yourself stuck with a project and not sure where to go, try using stamps. The process of stamping is very therapeutic. You may start with not having an idea, but the more use you stamps, you may discover a project waiting to be uncovered. Stamping can be frustrating if you get mixed results. We are going to cover stamping tips and techniques that will help you work with 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
    Adding diamonds to diamond painting

    Everything You Need to Know About Diamond Painting

    August 31, 2024
    Printing with Gelli Plate Minis Gelli Printing Plates

    Printing with Gelli Plate Minis

    September 3, 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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