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  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • 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
  • 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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    Art Journal Backgrounds with Spray Paints and Inks

    Easy Art Journal Backgrounds with Spray Paints and Inks

    April 21, 2023
    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    February 3, 2023
    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    Misconceptions Surrounding Mental Illness

    October 7, 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

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    Art Journal Project: The Courage to Be Seen

    Having the Courage to be Seen

    September 12, 2020
    Why art journal?

    Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters

    February 13, 2026
    How to Paint Flowers with a Toilet Paper Roll

    How to Paint Flowers with a Toilet Paper Roll

    August 4, 2023
  • 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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    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    June 26, 2020
    How Grid Drawing Can Improve Composition

    How Grid Drawing Can Improve Composition

    October 30, 2020
    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
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Nadine Milton Sketching in Kelowna Japanese Garden

    Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

    August 13, 2022
    Live acrylic painting demonstration for creativity service

    The Importance of Creativity

    November 12, 2019
    How to Use Gel Prints in Your Art Journal

    Feeling Stuck? How to Use Gel Prints in Your Art Journal Projects

    July 29, 2022
  • 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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    Festive and Fabulous Gel Print Holiday Cards

    The Best DIY Gel Print Holiday Cards

    December 5, 2025
    wet-on-wet watercolor techniques mixing colors

    Easy Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Techniques for Beginners

    October 28, 2022
    Canvas Preparation for the Art Curious

    Canvas Preparation for the Art Curious

    March 4, 2022
  • 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

    Detail of Heart Focal Image from Valentine's Day Slimline Card

    Valentine’s Day Slimline Card

    February 12, 2021
    How to tint acrylic pastes and gels

    From White to WOW: How to Tint Acrylic Pastes

    August 1, 2025
    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    June 25, 2021
  • 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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    Goal Setting: Creativity as a Prompt

    Goal Setting: Creativity as a Prompt

    January 14, 2020
    Art Journal Project I'm Feeling Blue

    Art Journal Project “I’m Feeling Blue”

    January 20, 2020
    How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts

    How to Cut and Color Intricate Die Cuts

    March 5, 2021
  • 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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    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    February 3, 2023
    4 Lessons I Learned From Almost Anxious

    4 Lessons I Learned from Almost Anxious

    June 5, 2020
    Mixed Media Textures Using Brushos

    Mixed Media Textures Using Brushos

    May 6, 2022
  • 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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    How to Use Alcohol Inks and Stencils

    How to Use Alcohol Inks and Stencils

    August 14, 2020
    Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

    Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

    March 18, 2022
    How to Start a Self-Care Habit

    How to Start a Self-Care Habit

    January 28, 2020
  • 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

    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    December 4, 2020
    Contour Drawing with Watercolor and Wax Resist

    Loosen Up with Contour Drawing and Painterly Effects

    January 7, 2022
    “How did I end up here?” Finding Awareness in our Everyday Lives

    “How did I end up here?” Finding Awareness in our Everyday Lives

    April 29, 2019

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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