Welcome back to another installment of In Detail. This week, I’m talking about Adhesives. You’ll find adhesives in their own category at Ellen Hutson.
While I understand the necessity of using the appropriate adhesive for the papercrafting task, I have to say that my relationship with adhesives isn’t a particularly comfortable one. As a perfectionist, I often dread the part in the project in which I have to put everything together, lest I make a mistake with the glue, tape, etc. At the same time, adhesives can make or break a beautifully crafted project! In this post, I’m reviewing the adhesives I now use on a regular basis, stating for which tasks they’re best suited, and pointing out caveats along the way. I think I’ve probably got company in the mindset of “If it works, don’t fix it,” and I know that I’ve depended on adhesives that worked, without looking for anything new or possibly better. During research for this post, I went outside my comfort zone and discovered there are more adhesives out there than I imagined! The list of adhesives I’m covering is by no means exhaustive, and new adhesives are added to the store on a frequent basis.
Let’s begin with the first type of adhesive I ever used in constructing cards – the tape runner, or in this case a "dot stamp" runner. This is my “go to” adhesive when I create a card constructed only of cardstock, without heavy embellishments. The Tombow Adhesive Dot Stamp Runner can be used as both a traditional tape runner, as well as a “stamp on” adhesive.
I have never used this adhesive except as a tape runner, but having tried the stamping method, I know I’ll use that in certain applications. This adhesive has a lot of play. I can apply it, put my cardstock pieces together, and then change my mind about placement and make an adjustment. The downside of that characteristic is that the hold isn’t super strong. This adhesive is not suitable for putting on embellishments such as buttons, or adhering watercolor panels (which might have some warp) to a cardstock base. On the plus side, the adhesive can be easily removed if you make a mistake. I use the Thermoweb Adhesive Pick-Up Square to remove stray, sticky dots. When the adhesive runs out, refills are available.
For times when I want to more securely attach a paper panel to a cardstock base, I reach for the ATG aka Advanced Tape Glider. The kit includes the glider and two ¼" x 36 yard rolls of adhesive. There are many videos online showing how to load the tape, and the kit includes instructions. The ATG can be intimidating size-wise, especially if you’re used to something smaller, like the dot runner. The ATC isn’t suitable for applying adhesive in small, tight areas, but rather for times when you want to lay down a big strip of adhesive. This adhesive is economical, quick to apply, and with 36 yards in a roll, you won’t need to reload the ATG too often. When you do, there are refills available. I’ve only recently added the ATG to my arsenal. Given its size, I did have to find space for it in my storage.
While you can change your mind after you’ve applied the adhesive, I noticed that when I pulled the card panel from the base, the cardstock bent. In other words, it’s best to be sure when you apply this adhesive and it's hold is strong. I also recently noticed that when I tried to apply this adhesive to a watercolor panel, which had a fair amount of texture on its surface, the ATG tape immediately pulled up. The ATG tape works best on a smooth surface.
The Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker Machine comes already loaded with ½" wide x 20' long, acid-free permanent adhesive. A permanent refill and a repositionable refill are both available. I had never used this tool until working on this article! I’d heard of it, but somehow the “sticker” name didn’t resonate with me. I’ve been using Glossy Accents (more on those later in the article) to attach die cut letters, but not without a lot of exasperation. I was pleasantly surprised at how simple this machine is to use.
Just load the item at the top of the X and let it go.
Pull the tape at the bottom of the X and tear off the sealed item, or items, if you send through more than one at a time.
Peel away the top sheet, lift off the item to which a sticky adhesive has been applied, and place on your project.
Now that I’ve used it, this will be my “go to” tool for adding adhesive to die cut letters. Although I haven’t confirmed this with my own testing, I’ve read that thin buttons and ribbon can be sent through the machine.
Although the double-sided Be Creative Tape, 5mm (1/4") can take a little longer to apply, as it needs to be cut, its hold is unbeatable and the application is precise.
Recently I’ve been doing a lot of watercolor projects, and I noticed that if I applied the watercolor panels to the card base with the stamp runner, I was likely to have some gaps, especially as the watercolor panels are often slightly warped. I now apply heavier cardstock panels and watercolor panels to a card base with this tape.
Be Creative Tape is also available in the following sizes: 3mm (1/8"), 7mm (3/10"), 12mm (1/2"), 25mm (1") , 15mm (3/5"), 40mm (1 1/2"), 65mm (2.5") and 115mm (4.5").
The popular “cover-a-card” die cuts pose a particular adhesive challenge, and for those I use the Be Creative Sheets, 5 pk (8x11). I cut the sheets down to A2 size. Before running the cardstock through the die cut machine, I attach the sheet to the cardstock panel. (I typically use the Memory Box Metal Adaptor Plate to cut the cardstock panel with the larger die cuts.)
After the card panel has been run through the die cut, I carefully peel the part of the die cut I want to apply to the card base away from the sheet. Once I make the commitment to apply the die cut to the card base, there’s no going back. The Be Creative sheets offer a strong hold.
Although I don’t often use the High Tack Double-Sided Foam Mounting Tape, 1/4" (2mm/0.08 in. in depth), I have begun to do so on the recommendation of Kittie Caracciolo. This is an easy to apply product for times when you need dimension on your project. The tape is also available in ½” width.
I used the tape on all four sides of a window overlay, as shown.
I could also use a strip or smaller pieces to adhere items with dimension.
This tape is forgiving in that I was able to pull a window overlay off of a watercolor paper panel to make an adjustment.
I also use Scrapbook Adhesives Foam Squares for those times when I don’t need an entire strip of dimension. The package includes (63) ½" x ½" and (154) ¼" x ¼" squares, 2mm/0.08 in. in depth.
The Kool Tak Clear Foam Adhesive, 1/4" Squares are another way to add dimension to a project. The package includes 144 adhesive squares measuring 1/4" x 1/4" x 1/32" thick. I used the clear squares to adhere a die cut strip. I wanted to attach the row of houses, which were cut from a watercolored panel, to a watercolored background.
Because the die cut had openings, the clear squares allowed me to attach the panel without worry that the squares would show through. However, there are a couple of caveats. I find that these squares are somewhat difficult to get off of the sheet. More precisely, the squares tend to come off the sheet several at a time.
I also found the liner on the squares difficult to remove. Still there are certain instances when an almost invisible adhesive is needed, and for that, these squares work well.
I wasn’t quite happy with how I attached the strip of houses to the background and was able to lift it off and reattach it.
Although I’ve owned glue pens for several years, I honestly didn’t know how to use them. The Sakura Quickie Glue Pen, Zig Memory Squeeze & Roll Pen and the Zig Memory Two-Way Fine Tip Pen offer both permanent and repositionable adhesion. When the glue is first applied, it’s blue. At this point, it’s permanent. As it dries, it turns clear, at which point it’s repositionable. I have come to realize that I was slow in getting my items glued. Therefore, the hold I got was repositionable, whereas I wanted it to be permanent. I would only use this product for a permanent hold. Because the glue does dry quickly, I find that the pens are best suited for gluing smaller items such as cardstock die cuts.
Because you have to “write” with the pen, the item needs to be on a solid surface to apply the glue. With squeezers, the item can be picked up to be applied to the project.
Using a glue pen to apply glue to a “cover-a-card” die cut would take too long for this style of adhesive to provide a permanent hold. The glue would be dry, making it repositionable, by the time you got around the die cut edge!
The Sakura Quickie Glue Pen writes like a ball-point pen, as does the Zig Memory Squeeze & Roll Pen.The Zig Memory Two-Way Fine Tip Pen is a felt-tip. There’s also a chisel-tip version.
I actually prefer adding dots of glue with the Zig Memory Two-Way Fine Tip Pen. I like that the dots are consistent in terms of amount and shape of the glue, and I was able to quickly apply the glue with this pen.
I used the Sakura Quickie Glue Pen (top) and the Zig Memory Squeeze & Roll Pen (bottom) to test the application of fine glitter. The Sakura was easier with which to write.
However, after the glue dried, I tested the hold by brushing the glitter.
The glitter applied with the Sakura glue pen was easy to brush off, whereas the glitter applied with the Zig Memory glue held strong. I’ve read online that glitter can be sealed with a fixative, which would eliminate the problem of the product rubbing off.
Another product I’ve had in my supplies, but had not used before embarking on this post, is the Ranger Collage Glue Stick. Ranger has also recently introduced the Ranger Collage Glue Stick, Triangle whose shape provides the capability to apply glue in hard-to-reach corners. The collage stick is intended for gluing paper and photos. I used the glue stick to apply a piece of patterned paper to grunge board before die-cutting the grunge board.
I applied the glue liberally to the grunge board and then firmly pressed the patterned paper onto the grunge board. After allowing ample drying time, I die cut the grunge board. This was much simpler than die cutting the grunge board, die cutting the patterned paper and then applying the patterned paper pieces to the grunge board.
I’ll end my review of adhesives with a product that has been part of my supply since I began cardmaking a few years ago. Whether for attaching buttons, twine, non-flat items such as paper clips, or delicate die cuts, I reach for the Ranger Mini Glossy Accents. As I revealed earlier, until I learned about the Xyron 1.5" Create-a-Sticker Machine and the glue pens, I used Glossy Accents for just about everything except gluing paper to paper! Ranger Glossy Accents are also available in a two-ounce size, but I prefer the smaller size. Not just an adhesive, Glossy Accents can be used as a gloss medium to add shine to stamped images, die cuts, chipboard accents and more. The product dries clear, strong and fast. My experience is that there is not a lot of play with this product, and when it’s dry, it’s attached for good!
In the photos, I’ve shown the application of Glossy Accents to a grunge board die cut onto which I’ve added a die cut patterned paper piece. For this type of application I find the Lifestyle Crafts QuickStik or EK Craft Tweezers to be particularly useful. More often, I hold the item to which I’m applying the Glossy Accents with the QuickStik or the tweezers (the type of item dictates which of the tools I use). For example, if I had a metal accent that I was planning to put on a card base, I would hold it with the tweezers and apply the glue.
Interested in learning about glitter adhesives? Check out Ellen’s post “Transparent Double-Stick Tape and Microfine Glitter Comparison.”
Julie Ebersole has a terrific video tutorial “Adhesive for Delicate Die Cuts.”
Is there an adhesive you use that I didn’t cover? Do you use one of the adhesives mentioned in a manner that I didn’t discuss? We love to hear from you!
--Jean
