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The Art of Self-Care

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  • CLASSES
  • 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
  • Restoration During A Holiday
    Artist's Journey

    Restoration During A Holiday

    July 3, 2020 /

    Happy Canada Day and Independence Day to my readers! Since this week is Canada Day and Independence Day, I wanted to share with you what I do to find restoration during a holiday. Even as things are opening up in Alberta, there is still a need for social distancing that is affecting holiday celebrations. With that in mind, I was thinking about how to celebrate Canada Day in a way that would be fun and restorative. Get Out of the House With my husband and I both working from home, we really wanted to get out of the house for Canada Day. We have been staying pretty close to home…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    How to fussy cut napkin images for any project

    How to Cut the PERFECT Napkin Image

    July 20, 2024
    How to get the best results with napkin decoupage

    New to Napkin Decoupage? Start HERE!

    June 28, 2024

    How to Paint a Tree in 3 Easy Steps!

    June 12, 2024
  • 4 Lessons I Learned From Almost Anxious
    Artist's Journey

    4 Lessons I Learned from Almost Anxious

    June 5, 2020 /

    Today I wanted to share with you the 4 lessons I learned from Almost Anxious. If you have been following my reading list for 2020, this is one of the books that I committed to reading to help my personal mental wellness. Why Almost Anxious? Almost Anxious is a book that was recommended to me by a friend. The premise of this book is how to deal with the “almost anxious” moments in our lives. One of the problems with anxiety is that we are often put into one of two boxes: anxious or not anxious. This criterion is not always helpful. Many of us have anxiety that is above…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal Using Archival and Dye Inks

    Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal

    January 13, 2023
    Practicing Self-Care during the Holiday Season

    Practicing Self-Care during the Holiday Season

    December 12, 2019
    Adding diamonds to diamond painting

    Everything You Need to Know About Diamond Painting

    August 31, 2024
  • Finding A New Normal
    Artist's Journey

    Finding a New Normal

    May 29, 2020 /

    Have you been thinking about how to find a new normal in the wake of the pandemic? It has been on my mind over the last few weeks. I had an opportunity this past weekend to visit the Calgary Zoo for the first time since the pandemic. It made me think about how we can find our way back to a healthy routine and finding a new normal in our lives.   Being Emotionally Disoriented I have mentioned in other articles the feeling of being emotionally disorientated during the pandemic. There have been many good days, but there are other days where I feel like it is a real struggle.…

    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
    Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

    Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

    March 18, 2022
    Mixed Media Textures Using Brushos

    Mixed Media Textures Using Brushos

    May 6, 2022
  • In Time It's Going to be Okay
    Art Journal

    In Time It’s Going to be Okay

    May 9, 2020 /

    This week I have been reflecting on the changes in life that we all have been experiencing lately. There is so much uncertainty. How do we effectively handle our emotions when things are so unsure? The thought struck me that “In time it’s going to be okay.” Right Now it Does not Feel Okay Right now it does not feel okay. I found that for the first month of social isolation and distancing I was able to stay quite hopeful and focused. The longer this is dragging out, the more I need to force myself to be focused and to practice self-care. It requires more diligence and more focus than…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine Milton

    Make Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!

    December 19, 2025
    Nadine Milton Sketching in Kelowna Japanese Garden

    Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

    August 13, 2022
    Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19

    Building Meaningful Connection During COVID-19

    April 3, 2020
  • Goal Setting During COVID-19
    Artist's Journey

    Goal Setting During COVID-19

    April 24, 2020 /

    Goal setting during COVID-19 may seem like an odd thing to discuss, but I believe it is now more important than ever. If you have been following my site for a while, you will know that I have already shared some of my personal experience with goal setting. I believe that goal setting is an exercise that we should do at least once a year. It needs to be more than a New Year’s Resolution. Goal setting is a tool to help us find purpose and define the goals that are most important to us. In my original article about goal setting, I provided a free goal setting template. This…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Is Craft Paint Really Cheaper? Choosing the Best Paint for your Art Journal

    Is Craft Paint Really Cheaper? What’s the Best Paint?

    October 7, 2022
    Preparing for a Pandemic Christmas

    Preparing for a Pandemic Christmas

    December 11, 2020
    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    How to Gelli Print on Tissue Paper

    July 1, 2022
  • 3 Lessons I Learned from Daring Greatly
    Artist's Journey

    3 Lessons I Learned from Daring Greatly

    April 10, 2020 /

    My book review this month is 3 Lessons I Learned from Daring Greatly by Brene Brown. This is a fabulous book about having the courage to be vulnerable and how it can transform our lives. For anyone who wants to greatly improve their self-care and mental health, this book is a must read. I wanted to share with you the 3 lessons that I learned personally from Daring Greatly. I am Uncomfortable with Vulnerability My first lesson from this book was realizing that I am uncomfortable with vulnerability. Brene Brown writes about what she has learned as a shame and vulnerability researcher. She speaks about her interviews with her research…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Creative Foundations How to Blend Ink

    Creative Foundations: How to Blend Ink

    January 31, 2020
    How to Use Gel Prints in Your Art Journal

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

    July 29, 2022
    tissue paper collage with chipboard and gems

    The Secret to Stunning Collages…use Tissue Paper!

    March 7, 2025
  • How to Find Rest During COVID-19
    Artist's Journey

    How to Find Rest During COVID-19

    March 27, 2020 /

    As I have been connecting with friends online this week, it has made me think about how to find rest during COVID-19. It is easy to say that since many of us are not working now that we are having a period of rest. I do not believe that is necessarily the case. Being a driven person, I have found that finding actual restorative time and learning how to rest is easier said than done. Busy for the Sake of Busyness It is easy to fall into being busy for the sake of busyness. The habit of always doing something and going somewhere is not an easy one to break.…

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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
    Nadine Milton Sketching in Kelowna Japanese Garden

    Why You Should Try an Art Retreat

    August 13, 2022
    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
  • How to Live Fearlessly During COVID-19
    Artist's Journey

    How to Live Fearlessly During COVID-19

    March 20, 2020 /

    As many of us are dealing with the recent pandemic it has made me consider how to live fearlessly during COVID-19. I believe that we do need be concerned about the coronavirus. We definitely need to take precautions, but how do we live fearlessly instead of letting fear and worry steal our joy? Fear Based Living It’s easy to fall into fear based living. There was a period in my life where it felt like fear was an all-consuming reality. I was fearful of so many things, including interacting with others. When we are living in fear it is easy to fall into victimhood. Instead of seeing the world as…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Holiday Collage Cards Designed by Nadine Milton

    Make Amazing Holiday Collage Cards in Minutes!

    December 19, 2025
    Art Journal Textured Background Techniques with Acrylic Mediums

    Textured Background Techniques for the Art Journal

    March 11, 2022
    Collage Techniques with Tissue Paper Gelli Prints

    Unique Collage Techniques with Tissue Paper Gel Prints

    July 15, 2022
  • 4 lessons from start with why
    Artist's Journey

    4 Lessons from Start With Why

    March 6, 2020 /

    This week I wanted to share with you 4 lessons from “Start with Why” by Simon Sinek. This book is part of my 2020 reading challenge, where I have chosen 12 books to read in 2020. I believe an important aspect to self-care is learning and seeing things from a new perspective. This book in particular has been very helpful for understanding my why, not just for this website but in my personal life. Why I Chose “Start with Why” Start with Why was a book recommended to me several years ago by a friend. It was also part of the recommended reading from my husband’s company. I had also…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

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    Choosing an Art Journal for Your Creative Practice

    May 27, 2022
    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    Adding Your Own Art to Stencil Images

    August 28, 2020
    Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages

    Easy Foil Alternatives for Cards and Art Journal Pages

    November 18, 2022
  • 3 Ways to use Tombow Markers
    Projects,  Techniques

    3 Ways To Use Tombow Markers

    February 28, 2020 /

    As I was thinking about which art technique I would like to share with you this week as part of my Creative Foundation Series, 3 ways to Tombow markers in an unconventional way came to mind.   What are Tombow Dual Brush Pens? If you are unfamiliar with Tombow Dual Brush pens, they are a great tool to use in art and papercrafts. They come in 108 colors and are useful for coloring, illustration, sketching and brush lettering. I often use them for these purposes, but also use them in some more unconventional ways. This week I will be sharing 3 ways that I use these markers in a more…

    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
    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
    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    June 26, 2020
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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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