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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
  • 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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    Reviewing and testing the Best Zebra Pens

    Why You Need Zebra Pens in Your Art Collection

    May 17, 2024
    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 get past a creative block- try this amazing mixed media art journal page!

    Struggling with Creative Block? Try this Easy Art Journal Page!

    October 18, 2025
  • gel plate printing with leaves and grasses
    Techniques

    Unique & Easy Gel Printing with Leaves and Grasses

    September 19, 2025 /

    Did you know some of the best tools for gel printing are growing right outside? Grab some leaves, your gel plate, and let’s jump in! Today I’ll show you how to use real plants to create beautiful, organic textures. You might just be surprised by the stunning details that show up. Gel plate printing with leaves and grasses is easy, beginner-friendly, and a little bit magical! 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. Where do You Find Leaves? In my garden I am surrounded by a LOT of textures and leaves to choose…

    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
    Everything is Figure-outable Art Journaling Page with Fluid Acrylics

    Using Fluid Acrylics in the Art Journal

    July 22, 2022

    How to Organize 684 Pens, Pencils, and Markers

    April 12, 2024
  • Gel print art journal page featuring hummingbirds and flowers
    Projects,  Techniques

    Gel Print Collage Techniques You’ll Love

    July 18, 2025 /

    Gel printing is fun… until you realize you’ve made more gel prints than you know what to do with! Don’t worry—we’ve all been there. The good news? There’s no wrong way to start using these gel prints in your next collage. Today we’ll walk through simple and creative ways to use your gel prints in a collage project. I’ll be sharing my favorite tips and techniques to design and create an effective collage 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 Overwhelm of Gel Prints It happens to all of us. We…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    “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
    Hoppy Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    Hoppy Christmas from Hop-A-Long Studio

    December 24, 2021
    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    December 2, 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    How to Paint a Night Sky

    How to Paint a Night Sky

    February 19, 2021
    4 lessons from start with why

    4 Lessons from Start With Why

    March 6, 2020
    Printing with Gelli Plate Minis Gelli Printing Plates

    Printing with Gelli Plate Minis

    September 3, 2021
  • 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…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Organize 684 Pens, Pencils, and Markers

    April 12, 2024
    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
    How to tint acrylic pastes and gels

    From White to WOW: How to Tint Acrylic Pastes

    August 1, 2025
  • 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…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Basic art journal techniques using acrylic paint and napkins

    New to Art Journaling? Basic Techniques using Paints and Napkins

    January 27, 2023

    How to Organize 684 Pens, Pencils, and Markers

    April 12, 2024
    Gift Ideas for Artists

    The Best Gifts for Artists that Love Watercolor and Acrylic Paint

    November 5, 2022
  • Working in a Series with Gelli Prints Calendar Project
    Projects,  Techniques

    Working in a Series with Gelli Prints

    December 30, 2022 /

    Have you ever used your gelli prints to work in a series? Using gelli prints to create a series of work can be a fun and creative way to use your prints in project. Today we’ll be creating a calendar project using a series of gelli prints and stamps to bring cohesion to our series.  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. What is Working in a Series Working in a series is a term often used by artists when they use one subject, set of colors or techniques to make multiple works…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Reviewing and testing the Best Zebra Pens

    Why You Need Zebra Pens in Your Art Collection

    May 17, 2024
    How to Create a Wine Bottle Vase Overall Project

    How to Create a Wine Bottle Flower Vase

    May 7, 2021
    Gift Ideas for Artists

    The Best Gifts for Artists that Love Watercolor and Acrylic Paint

    November 5, 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…

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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
    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    5 Art Journal Background Ideas Using Ink

    June 25, 2021

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

    March 3, 2023
  • 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to get the best results with napkin decoupage

    New to Napkin Decoupage? Start HERE!

    June 28, 2024
    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 2020
    Restoration During A Holiday

    Restoration During A Holiday

    July 3, 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…

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    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to Design a Scrapbook Page Camera Detail

    How to Design a Scrapbook Page

    May 1, 2021
    How to Create a Wine Bottle Vase Overall Project

    How to Create a Wine Bottle Flower Vase

    May 7, 2021
    Completed Art Journal Project What You Focus on Grows

    Altering Paper on a Journal Page

    January 29, 2021
123

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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Acceptance (10) acrylic paint (16) Acrylic Painting (17) Applying Art Mediums (14) Applying Brusho Powders (10) Art Ideas (22) art journal (20) Art Journaling (62) Art Tutorials (156) Art Videos (163) Awareness (19) Blending Color (22) Card Making (16) Card Tutorials (11) Christmas (9) collage (20) Creative Foundations (24) Creativity (29) Drawing (12) Embossing (11) Gelli Plate (10) Gelli Printing (21) Goal Setting (9) Ink Blending (13) Inking (42) Inks (11) Making Good Choices (12) Mental Health (32) Mindfulness (24) Mixed Media (15) Mixed Media Art (16) napkins (9) Pan Pastels (9) Self-Care (47) Self-Care Activities (16) Self-Care Videos (33) Self-Discovery (14) Stamping (62) Stencilling (48) Tim Holtz Distress (23) Values (9) Watercolor (14) Watercolor Basics (13) Watercolor Painting (19) Wild Whisper Designs (21)

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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