Hop-A-Long Studio

The Art of Self-Care

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  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
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  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
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  • 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
  • 3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    May 1, 2026 /

    Do you ever feel like some of your mixed media pages look a bit blah? Or maybe you’re part of the way through your art journal page and you don’t know how to finish it off. This is a common problem when working with art journaling and mixed media.   Today I’m taking 3 of my own unfinished and underwhelming pages and we’ll transform them together. Along the way, I’ll show you exactly what’s going wrong and how to fix it. 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 Unfinished Mixed Media Page…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    Create this Easy Snake Book with 1 Sheet of Paper

    February 3, 2023
    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 2020
    Contour Drawing with Watercolor and Wax Resist

    Loosen Up with Contour Drawing and Painterly Effects

    January 7, 2022
  • How to Make Collage Papers for Free
    Techniques

    Make Gorgeous Collage Papers for Free

    April 24, 2026 /

    Do you ever see beautiful collage papers and feel like you just have to have them? Collections from companies like 49 and Market are beautiful but these papers can get pretty expensive, especially if you do a lot of projects. Today I’m going to walk you through how you can make your own dynamic and beautiful collage papers that can be curated to work with any project or theme. Whether this is vintage and distressed or bright and bold, this technique can work on a variety of papers. 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Painting with Ink Art Journal Project

    Painting with Ink: An Art Journal Project

    November 13, 2020
    Acrylic Paint Pouring Ornaments

    Easy and Beautiful Acrylic Paint Pouring Holiday Ornaments

    December 22, 2023
    Gelli Print Feather Focal Image Technique

    Creating Beautiful Textures by Gelli Printing with Stencils

    April 15, 2022
  • How to get past a creative block- try this amazing mixed media art journal page!
    Art Journal,  Artist's Journey

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

    October 18, 2025 /

    Do you ever have moments where you’re struggling with a creative block? If it’s been a while since you’ve had time or energy for creativity, you are not alone. It’s easy to fall into these blocks and can be incredibly difficult to get past them. 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. Recently, I’ve had several family members diagnosed with critical illness, and it’s been a challenging time emotionally. It’s hard to feel excited and passionate about art when loved ones are dealing with illness and really challenging times. What do we do…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Gel print art journal page featuring hummingbirds and flowers

    Gel Print Collage Techniques You’ll Love

    July 18, 2025
    How to use Resist Techniques with Alcohol Inks

    How to use Resist Techniques with Alcohol Inks

    May 20, 2022
    Everything is Figure-outable Art Journaling Page with Fluid Acrylics

    Using Fluid Acrylics in the Art Journal

    July 22, 2022
  • Mixed Media Collage Using Paper, Acetate and Fabric Tape
    Projects,  Techniques

    Mixed Media Collage Techniques You Need to Try!

    March 21, 2025 /

    Mixed media collage is hard….or is it? Sometimes when we’re using more than one material, we tend to complicate things. Let’s dive into a beautiful and easy project using fabric, acetate and paper! 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 your Favorite Paper Every time I work on a mixed media collage project, I either start with an idea, a favorite paper, or a medium that I want to use. This project is no exception. I have this beautiful Golden Botanicals paper from Simply Stated Design that is perfect for a collage…

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    Nadine Milton

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    Creating an Art Journal Page Using Paper Glossy Accents and Distress Crayons

    Easy Art Journal Page Using Paper

    September 16, 2022
    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors an Easy Art Journal Project

    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors

    February 10, 2023
    Welcome to Hop-A-Long Studio

    Welcome to Hop-A-Long Studio

    April 22, 2019
  • Intuitive Collage Mixed Media Project featuring image from Simply Stated Design
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    New to Intuitive Collage? Start Here!

    December 2, 2024 /

    Are you looking for new ways to mix up your art journal practice? Intuitive collage is one of my favorite ways to create with paper in my projects. Let’s explore some easy and fun techniques to use paper in unique ways.   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 Can We Use for Intuitive Collage? We sometimes get stuck by creating too many rules of what we can and cannot use in our collage projects. Here’s a few of my favorite things that I reach for when I start working on my…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Create a Traveler's Notebook

    How to Create a Traveler’s Notebook

    April 23, 2021
    Travel Greeting Card Using Photos and Wild Whisper Designs Road Trip Paper Collection

    How to Make a Travel Greeting Card

    June 18, 2021
    Mixed Media Tag Nature Does Not Hurry

    Mixed Media Tag “Nature Does Not Hurry”

    June 4, 2021
  • Acrylic Paint Pouring Ornaments
    Projects

    Easy and Beautiful Acrylic Paint Pouring Holiday Ornaments

    December 22, 2023 /

    Have you ever tried making holiday ornaments using acrylic paint pouring techniques? This medium may seem messy, but today I’ll show you how to get beautiful results with a controlled pour. This makes these stunning ornaments easy to make and requires a lot less clean up. Why Pouring Medium? I love pouring medium because of the glossy effect of the paint and the beautiful depth of color that you can get in your designs. It isn’t an easily controllable medium, so it lends itself better to abstract pieces and designs. This makes it perfect for holiday ornaments. I’ve recently been teaching a lot of paint pouring and had a lot…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Completed Art Journal Project What You Focus on Grows

    Altering Paper on a Journal Page

    January 29, 2021
    How to Make Collage Papers for Free

    Make Gorgeous Collage Papers for Free

    April 24, 2026
    How to Blend With Pan Pastels Art Journaling Project

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

    July 23, 2021
  • 15 Gift Ideas for Artists
    Artist's Journey,  Techniques

    15 Amazing Gift Ideas for Artists and Creatives

    November 3, 2023 /

    Are you looking for gift ideas for artists this holiday season? It can be challenging to shop for the artist in your life. There are so many products and options it can feel overwhelming.   Today I’m going to simplify this process for you. I’ve included 15 of my favorite supplies that I use constantly in my creative process. Whether working in an art journal or on a canvas, these quality products will make fantastic gifts for both professional and novice artists alike! 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. 1. Helix Circle…

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    Nadine Milton

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    How to Use Layering Stencils to Create Dimensional Images

    How to Use Layering Stencils to Create Dimensional Images

    September 23, 2022
    Traveler's Notebook Examples

    How to Use a Traveler’s Notebook

    March 19, 2021
    3 Christmas Card Ideas Using One Die Cut Design with Brusho Crystal Colours and Nuvo Shimmer Powders

    3 Christmas Card Ideas Using One Die Cut Design

    November 11, 2022
  • Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage
    Projects,  Techniques

    Mixed Media Magic: Transforming Pumpkins with Decoupage

    September 16, 2023 /

    Looking for a way to practice your mixed media skills outside the art journal? Try making a fun and original home décor pumpkins with decoupage techniques! I found a plastic pumpkin at my local craft store and thought it would be perfect for adding a variety of mixed media elements to make it unique. Generally, I’m not much of a home décor creative, but occasionally it’s fun to change up the creative process. It can be a way of picking up new skills or learning how to use skills that you have in a different way.  I find there’s always fun surprises along the path of creative self-discovery. Hop-A-Long Studio…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    4 Lessons I Learned From Almost Anxious

    4 Lessons I Learned from Almost Anxious

    June 5, 2020
    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    Learning to Trust Ourselves

    February 21, 2020
    How to Become Unoffendable and Live a Happier Life

    How to Become Unoffendable and Live a Happier Life

    July 24, 2020
  • Art Journaling Project with Tissue Paper Collage
    Techniques

    Art Journaling with Tissue Paper Collage

    January 21, 2022 /

    Tissue paper collage is a fun way to add layers and textures to your art journal pages. You can get a variety of printed tissue papers or purchase plain tissue paper to alter with inks, stamps and paints. The possibilities for tissue paper collage are endless and it’s a great way of personalizing your journal. For today’s project and tutorial I am using Dina Wakley collage tissue paper. The papers are printed in both black and white which provides versatility on how you can apply them in 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…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Art Tag using Scribble Stick Watercolor Technique and Brene Brown Quote on Vellum

    Scribble Sticks Watercolor Technique

    September 17, 2021
    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    Easy Alcohol Ink Christmas Card

    December 4, 2020
    An Easy Watercolor Tutorial on Watercolor Mixing

    Intimidated by Watercolor Mixing? An Easy Watercolor Tutorial

    February 18, 2022
  • Deco Foil Christmas Cards Merry and Bright
    Projects

    Deco Foil Christmas Card “Merry and Bright”

    December 3, 2021 /

    One of my favorite parts of the Christmas season is making beautiful Christmas cards. The technique that I am sharing today is how to make a Deco Foil Christmas card that uses patterned paper, Deco Foil transfer sheets and the Deco Foil adhesive pen. Mastering Deco Foil I love Deco Foil. This is a fun medium that you can get beautiful results with. But I find so many of the videos and projects I see only show the perfect results. Deco Foil is fairly easy to use, but there are times when I don’t always get a perfect foil transfer. Mastering Deco Foil takes practice and a bit of patience.…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to Use Distress Embossing Glazes

    How to Use Distress Embossing Glazes

    April 1, 2020
    Saying Goodbye to Ego Art Journaling Page

    Why I Killed my Ego

    November 28, 2019
    How to Use Pan Pastels

    How to use Pan Pastels

    January 1, 2021
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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  • Art Journal
  • Artist's Journey
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  • Techniques

Tags

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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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