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  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT
  • HOME
  • CLASSES
  • COMMUNITY
  • SHOP
  • ABOUT
  • CONTACT

Recent Posts

  • How to Choose an Art Journal You’ll Love
    In Art Journal
  • Why art journal?Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters
    In Projects
  • How to use Pan Pastels in an Art Journal Page to display your yearly intentionShow Your New Years Intention with Pan Pastels
    In Art Journal, Projects, Techniques
  • How to use Pan Pastels in an Art Journal Page to display your yearly intention
    Art Journal,  Projects,  Techniques

    Show Your New Years Intention with Pan Pastels

    January 1, 2026 /

    Are you looking to start a creative habit this year? I love January as it’s a time to explore some of the materials in my art room that I haven’t used in a while and play with some new ideas. Today I’m pulling out my Pan Pastels to show you some fun and easy techniques that anyone can do! 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 are Pan Pastels? I’ve shared about Pan Pastels before, but if you’re not familiar with these cute little pans, they are pastel pigment in a round…

    Read More
    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 Make Gelli Prints

    How to Make Gelli Prints

    May 15, 2020
    How to tint acrylic pastes and gels

    From White to WOW: How to Tint Acrylic Pastes

    August 1, 2025
  • The Intuitive Collage Process | How to Get Past a Creative Block
    Art Journal,  Techniques

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

    June 12, 2023 /

    Do you ever use the intuitive collage process to get past creative blocks? If you’ve never heard of intuitive collage or don’t know how it can help you, today I’ll be sharing with you everything you need to know about this process!   Intuitive collage is a great technique for getting the creative juices flowing. It’s a great way to prevent us from overthinking the creative process. So often we get stuck because we are judging our work or feel uncertain about where to go next with our art. The intuitive collage process can help us to let go, be fully immersed in our projects, and let the creative part…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

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

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

    December 8, 2023
    Easy Brusho Christmas Card

    Easy Brusho Christmas Card

    December 22, 2020
    Scrapbook Page Design Tips

    Scrapbook Page Design Tips

    March 12, 2021
  • Unique Pan Pastel Techniques with Watermark Ink Peony Project on Black Art Journal
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Unique Techniques using Pan Pastels with Watermark Ink

    April 2, 2023 /

    Looking for ways to create beautiful details with Pan Pastels? Using Pan Pastels with watermark ink is a very simple way to add in interesting textures and details to your Pan Pastel creations. You can use this technique with both black and white paper to create a variety of unique effects. 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 Watermark Ink? Watermark ink is a translucent ink used to make watermarks on papers or creative projects. When the ink is stamped onto the surface, it creates a mark slightly darker than the…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    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
    Do You have Ruined Paint Brushes? How to Fix Acrylic Paint Brushes

    Do You Have Ruined Paint Brushes? How to Fix Acrylic Paint Brushes in 3 Easy Steps!

    February 17, 2023
    Mixed Media Fall Greeting Card Using Distress Crayons, Archival Ink and Wild Whisper Designs Paper and Stamps

    Mixed Media Fall Greeting Card

    October 8, 2021
  • Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards
    Projects,  Techniques

    Beautiful Smudge Free Pan Pastel Christmas Cards

    December 2, 2022 /

    Looking for smudge free results with your Pan Pastel Christmas cards? These easy Christmas cards take advantage of the beautiful blends you get with Pan Pastels without the smudging that sometimes occurs with this medium. 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. Blending with Pan Pastels I love the beautiful blends that we can get with Pan Pastels. This is what makes Pan Pastels so forgiving and fun to use. If you are new to Pan Pastels, check out my How to Use Pan Pastels video where I walk you through the basics…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Saying Goodbye to Ego Art Journaling Page

    Why I Killed my Ego

    November 28, 2019
    How to tint acrylic pastes and gels

    From White to WOW: How to Tint Acrylic Pastes

    August 1, 2025
    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors an Easy Art Journal Project

    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors

    February 10, 2023
  • Neurographic Art Blended with Pan Pastels
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Neurographic Art with Pan Pastels

    March 25, 2022 /

    If you haven’t tried neurographic art, this is a great self-care exercise for your creative practice. I was recently introduced to neurographic art by a subscriber on my YouTube channel and wanted to show you how to do this easy technique using blendable Pan Pastels. 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. If you are new to art journaling or a creative practice, knowing where to start can be half the challenge. The beauty of neurographic art is that you don’t have to have art experience to enjoy this technique. It is…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to Paint Flowers with a Toilet Paper Roll

    How to Paint Flowers with a Toilet Paper Roll

    August 4, 2023
    Mixed Media Tag Nature Does Not Hurry

    Mixed Media Tag “Nature Does Not Hurry”

    June 4, 2021
    My Experience with Therapy

    My Experience with Therapy

    October 9, 2020
  • Stamped Background Used for Greeting Card and Softcover Book using Stampers Anonymous Stamps and Pan Pastels
    Techniques

    Stamped Background for Moving Past a Creative Block

    August 6, 2021 /

    Do you ever sit down to create a project and end up staring at a blank page? We all have moments where we struggle with how to move past the creative block. Today’s project is a stamped background technique that I use when I am struggling with inspiration. Why a Stamped Background? A stamped background is not only fun to make and a great start to a mixed media piece, but is also quick to execute. When the creative block comes, it is important not to stay in it indefinitely. By choosing art tools and materials that cover a blank page quickly, this can help get the creative juices flowing.…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Art Journal with Napkins Technique Tutorial

    Art Journaling with Napkins

    January 14, 2022
    Nadine Milton Sketching in Kelowna Japanese Garden

    Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

    August 13, 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
  • How to Blend With Pan Pastels Art Journaling Project
    Art Journal

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

    July 23, 2021 /

    Do you ever struggle with how to layer and use Pan Pastels? Today we will be exploring how to blend Pan Pastels using Sofft tools in this art journal project. Learning to Use Art Mediums New art mediums are exciting to learn, but they can sometimes feel difficult to master. It can look so easy when you see a demonstration, but your own experience may be different. Ever new art medium takes time and patience to master. By changing our expectations towards new mediums, and accepting that there will be trial and error, the process of learning can be so much more enjoyable. Blending Pan Pastels Pan Pastels are a…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Acrylic Paint Pouring Ornaments

    Easy and Beautiful Acrylic Paint Pouring Holiday Ornaments

    December 22, 2023
    Looking to Improve your Painting Skills? How to Paint a Tree with Ink using Yasutomo Traditional Chinese Ink Silver Black and Chinese & Watercolor Brushes

    Looking for an Easy Painting Exercise? How to Paint a Tree with Ink

    February 24, 2023
    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 2020
  • Gelli Printing with Die Cuts
    Projects

    Gelli Printing with Die Cuts

    February 26, 2021 /

    Have you ever wondered how to make those lovely Gelli print backgrounds and how to incorporate them into your projects? This week I was playing with combining Gelli printing with die cuts and Pan Pastels and had some fantastic results! Gelli Printing with Die Cuts Gelli printing with die cuts is a great way to combine and duplicate images in your art pieces, cards, and journal pages. I love using die cuts in my prints and then cutting these same images for use as focal images on my page. I find that using a repetitive pattern in my pieces bring cohesion to my art. What to do with Gelli Prints?…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Fold Up Book Instax Mini Album Using Wild Whisper Designs paper and Local King Rubber Stamps

    One Page Fold Up Book: Instax Mini Album

    July 2, 2021
    3 Unique Ways to Use Stencils and Stencil Masks

    3 Unique Ways to Use Stencils and Masks

    September 1, 2023
    3 Ways to Trace Images onto Paper

    3 Easy Ways to Trace Images onto Paper

    January 8, 2021
  • How to Use Pan Pastels
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to use Pan Pastels

    January 1, 2021 /

    Today I wanted to show you how to use Pan Pastels. Pan Pastels are a new addition to my mixed media work, and I have enjoyed using them to enhance my art. If you have never heard of Pan Pastels, these are a fun and versatile medium. So what are Pan Pastels? Pan Pastels are a soft, highly pigmented pastel that is in a pan form. These are not oil based but instead have a chalk-like feel. One of the benefits of using pan pastels is that you can apply color quickly and easily. They blend well, are highly pigmented and are created to produce very little dust. I enjoy…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Finding Creativity Through Art Journaling, Art Journal Books, mixed media books

    Finding Creativity Through Art Journaling

    November 19, 2019
    5 Napkin Hacks to Make Your Napkin Art Pop!

    5 Easy Hacks to Make Your Napkin Images POP!

    August 23, 2024
    Goal Setting: Creativity as a Prompt

    Goal Setting: Creativity as a Prompt

    January 14, 2020

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

  • How to Choose an Art Journal You’ll Love
    In Art Journal
  • Why art journal?Demystifying Art Journaling: How to Start & Why It Matters
    In Projects
  • How to use Pan Pastels in an Art Journal Page to display your yearly intentionShow Your New Years Intention with Pan Pastels
    In Art Journal, Projects, Techniques
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