Ladybug Layouts Weekend Retreat

2011 Retreat Dates

June 3-5 (CANCELLED due to location issues)
October 21-23, December 2-4 (BOTH CANCELLED due to family committments)

Thursday, June 17, 2010

Today's Tip - Adhesives

When it comes to adhesives, the list of possibilities is virtually endless, but picking the right kind doesn't have to be complicated. As with anything intended to preserve your memories, you need to make sure it is acid-free.
It's also unlikely that you will end up with just one adhesive and picking the "right" one is part function and part personal preference. You may not like to use a Xyron machine, but it is a good resource for small die cuts. Some scrapbookers swear by glue pens, while others prefer double-sided tape and still others like craft glue

Some of my favorites include the following:
  • A variety of tape runners.  These can be disposable or refillable, but provide nice even coverage without a gooey mess.  They are convenient and easy to use.
  • Photo Squares are readily available and somewhat easy to use, but I reserve these for sticking down photos and photo mats as they sometimes come unstuck or shift a bit.  Once in an album, I've not had many problems.
  • Glue Pens come in a variety of tips suitable for many project.  They are easy to use and very good for small embellishments and titles.
  • Glue Dots are paper-thin (the 3-D version excluded) dots of adhesive. The regular dots come in small (3/16"), medium (3/8") and large (1/2") sizes. These are perfect for buttons and small embellishments. There are also 3-D dots, which are 1/2" wide and 1/8" thick. These are great for adding a little dimension to your page.
What are the benefits of repositionable vs. permanent adhesive?  Using repositionable adhesive will allow you to do things like paint over die-cut letters to make a reverse stencil, but still cleanly remove the die-cut.

By no means is this a complete list.  Do you use something different?  What's your favorite
TIP: Want to give some dimension to a sticker, but don't know how to keep it from sticking to the page? Use baby powder.