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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

  • Art paperclip created using handmade paper and hand drawn images by Nadine MiltonTired of Boring Paperclips? Make These Instead!
    In Projects, Techniques
  • How to make a perfect laser image transferThe Ultimate Guide to Perfect Image Transfers
    In Projects, Techniques
  • 3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!
    In Art Journal, Techniques
  • Watercolor Pigment Powders Brusho Crystal Colours, Lindy's Gang Magicals and Nuvo Shimmer Powders how to use on watercolor paper
    Techniques

    Watercolor Powders Demystified! You need to Try these!

    April 18, 2025 /

    Are you looking for beautiful and instant color for your next project? Don’t look any further than watercolor powders. Perhaps you’ve seen these before or have a collection of them somewhere in your creative space. Today is the day to pull them out and use them as I teach you everything you need to know to get started with watercolor powders! 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. Which Watercolor Powders to Choose? There’s so many different brands of watercolour pigment powders out there. Brusho Crystal Colours, Lindy’s Gang Magicals, Pink and Main…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    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
    Create Unique Art Journal Backgrounds with Plastic Wrap

    How to Create Unique Art Journal Backgrounds with Plastic Wrap

    August 19, 2023
    Japanese Art Journal Papers

    Wild and Wonderful Art Journal Papers: An Exploration into Japanese Paper

    February 4, 2022
  • Techniques

    How to Paint a Tree in 3 Easy Steps!

    June 12, 2024 /

    Do you struggle with painting trees? It looks easy, but then why do our trees end up looking like blobs?  There’s nothing more frustrating than creating a beautiful project and then have your focal image, the beautiful trees, not work out.  If this happens to you, you’re not alone. Painting trees can be easy if you understand a few fundamental things to help you get the best 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. Taking Inspiration from Nature Before we start painting, let’s talk about what we’re trying to draw. When we…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Festive and Fabulous Gel Print Holiday Cards

    The Best DIY Gel Print Holiday Cards

    December 5, 2025
    How to Use Pan Pastels

    How to use Pan Pastels

    January 1, 2021
    Coloring with Inks and Watercolor Crayons

    Coloring with Inks and Watercolor Crayons

    March 26, 2021
  • Paint Your Season's Greetings: Simple Watercolor Christmas Card Designs
    Projects,  Techniques

    Paint Your Season’s Greetings with Simple Watercolor Christmas Cards

    December 1, 2023 /

    Looking for ideas for simple watercolor Christmas cards? With the Christmas season approaching, we may want to make homemade Christmas cards. But it can feel really overwhelming if you don’t know where to start. How do you come up with a simple design that’s effective and easy to make? And most importantly, a design that you can easily replicate so that you can give all your favorite people a hand-made card. Today I’m sharing with you beginner-friendly and simple watercolor Christmas cards. This is a great way to practice your basic watercolor skills and make a bunch of beautiful cards quickly and easily. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Living in Transition: How to thrive in change

    Living in Transition: How to Thrive in Change

    August 7, 2020
    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
    Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal Using Archival and Dye Inks

    Amazing Ink Techniques for Your Art Journal

    January 13, 2023
  • How to Create a Colorful Mandala Using the Color Wheel
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Create a Colorful Mandala Using the Color Wheel

    May 12, 2023 /

    New to mandalas and color theory? Learn how to create a colorful mandala by combining these two techniques. If you were following along last week, we were talking about how to use the color wheel to create unique color combinations in the art journal. Today we will paint a color wheel and then turn it into a beautiful, colorful mandala.   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 Create a Color Wheel The mandala and color wheel have a similar structure. By creating the shape of a color wheel, this takes…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Paint Your Season's Greetings: Simple Watercolor Christmas Card Designs

    Paint Your Season’s Greetings with Simple Watercolor Christmas Cards

    December 1, 2023

    Realistic Goal Setting and New Year’s Resolutions

    December 30, 2019
    4 Lessons I Learned From Almost Anxious

    4 Lessons I Learned from Almost Anxious

    June 5, 2020
  • How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors an Easy Art Journal Project
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    How to Get Comfortable with Your Watercolors

    February 10, 2023 /

    Are you new to watercolor paints or have recently purchased a new set of watercolors? Watercolors are a wonderful medium but every new color or set of colors can take time to get used to. The colors may act differently than what you’re accustomed to, which can cause frustration. So how do you get comfortable with a new set of watercolors? I recently purchased a new set of Russian watercolor paints called White Nights at my local art store. I wanted to share with you my process and the exercises I use to get familiar with the paints and color combinations. We’ll be creating a simple watercolor painting in our…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Gel print art journal page featuring hummingbirds and flowers

    Gel Print Collage Techniques You’ll Love

    July 18, 2025
    Embracing Self-Worth and Values, Hand Holding Compass

    Embracing Self-Worth: Connecting Values and Identity

    August 9, 2019
    Simply Stated Design Advent Calendar 2024

    The Unique Advent Calendar You’ll Love Unboxing!

    October 22, 2024
  • wet-on-wet watercolor techniques mixing colors
    Techniques

    Easy Wet-on-Wet Watercolor Techniques for Beginners

    October 28, 2022 /

    If you are new to watercolor and learning wet-on-wet watercolor techniques, watercolor can sometimes feel challenging. You may feel like you have no control over your brush or your watercolor paint. Today we’ll cover the basics of wet-on-wet watercolor techniques for beginners to help you get great 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. The Problem The problem with wet-on-wet watercolor is how do we control the water? When I was new to watercolor painting, a lot of my projects ended up looking like colored blobs instead of landscapes, clouds,…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to Paint Watercolor Backgrounds

    How to Paint Watercolor Backgrounds

    February 14, 2020
    3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    May 1, 2026
    7 Techniques using Zebra Mildliner Mix Pens

    7 Unique Ways to Use Zebra Mildliner Mix Pens

    August 3, 2024
  • How to Use Watercolors with Stencils
    Techniques

    How to use Watercolors with Stencils

    August 26, 2022 /

    Using watercolors with stencils may seem like two things that don’t go together in your art journal. The loose nature of watercolor appears incompatible with stencils. But with a bit of experimentation and imagination, you can get some amazing and unexpected results using watercolors with stencils. 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 Watercolors to Stencils When adding watercolors to stencils, you may need to change your expectation for the final result. When using acrylic paints, gel or paste mediums with stencils, the medium can be applied, and the stencil removed immediately.…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Detail of Leaf Rubbings Art Journal Page using Caran d'Ache Neocolor 1 Wax Pastels and Tombow Fudenosuke Pen

    Using Leaf Rubbings and Ink for Drawing Practice

    October 15, 2021
    Creating an Art Journal Page Using Paper Glossy Accents and Distress Crayons

    Easy Art Journal Page Using Paper

    September 16, 2022
    Rabbit acrylic painting on top of gelli printing collage

    4 Ideas for Using Gelli Printing in Your Projects

    May 22, 2020
  • Collage Techniques with Tissue Paper Gelli Prints
    Art Journal,  Techniques

    Unique Collage Techniques with Tissue Paper Gel Prints

    July 15, 2022 /

    Looking for unique collage textures for your art journal? Try using collage techniques with tissue paper gel prints. This is an easy and beautiful way to add layers and textures to your projects. If you’ve been following along for the last few weeks, I’ve shared some of my favorite gel print techniques. Today we will discuss how to incorporate these beautiful papers in your projects in practical ways.    In this tutorial I’ll be sharing collage techniques with tissue paper gel prints. More specifically, how to create multiple layers that work together to create beautiful mixed media pages. Hop-A-Long Studio is reader-supported. When you buy through links on our site,…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    Circle Drawings Tools including Compass Helix Circle and Angle Maker and Helix Circle Ruler

    Choosing the Best Circle Tools for Drawing

    April 29, 2022
    5 Acrylic Background Techniques for the Art Journal

    Intimidated by the Blank Page? 5 Acrylic Background Techniques for the Art Journal

    June 10, 2022
    Doodling with Stencils with Tim Holtz Distress Inks and Posca Paint Pens

    Doodling with Stencils: Using Stencils to Improve your Drawing Skills

    October 22, 2021
  • Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker
    Techniques

    Choosing the Best Watercolor Marker

    March 18, 2022 /

    Choosing the best watercolor marker for your creative practice may seem daunting. There are many brands, styles, and colors of pens and markers available. How do we figure out which brand would be the best for us? Today I will share with you my experiences using watercolor markers and what to look for when purchasing a watercolor marker. 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 Best Watercolor Marker There are several things to consider when choosing the best watercolor marker to use for your creative practice. What are You Using Your…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

    How to use Resist Techniques with Alcohol Inks

    How to use Resist Techniques with Alcohol Inks

    May 20, 2022
    The Season of Self-Discovery

    The Season of Self-Discovery

    May 13, 2019
    3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!

    May 1, 2026
  • 5 Creative Techniques with Watercolor Markers
    Techniques

    5 Creative Techniques with Watercolor Markers

    February 25, 2022 /

    Watercolor markers are a fun and easy way to add beautiful blends of color to your creative projects. Watercolor markers and pens are easy to use and work well on a variety of surfaces. Today I am sharing 5 easy techniques for using watercolor markers in your creative 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. Watercolor Markers Watercolor markers come in many brands and styles. These range from fine tip pens to dual brush markers in a variety of thicknesses and nib styles. If you are new to watercolor and watercolor…

    Read More
    Nadine Milton

    You May Also Like

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

    Scribble Sticks Watercolor Technique

    September 17, 2021
    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    Art Journal Page Tutorial with Tim Holtz Distress Glazes

    June 26, 2020
    Amazing Art Journal Page Using a Vaseline Resist Technique

    How to Create Vaseline Resist Techniques in Your Art Journal

    September 8, 2023
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.

Categories

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  • Techniques

Tags

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 (164) 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

  • Art paperclip created using handmade paper and hand drawn images by Nadine MiltonTired of Boring Paperclips? Make These Instead!
    In Projects, Techniques
  • How to make a perfect laser image transferThe Ultimate Guide to Perfect Image Transfers
    In Projects, Techniques
  • 3 Ways to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!3 Techniques to Make Your Mixed Media Pages POP!
    In Art Journal, Techniques
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