Thinking about glue..does it get to you, too?
- those strings from a hot glue gun. How do you stop them? How do they still manage to be there after you think you have snipped them all off? You take a photo, enlarge it, and there they are..
- the gunged up top of a Glossy Accents bottle. Though this one I solved with a pin glued into the lid to keep the top permanently open.
- the foam pads which sit so high they give way more dimension than you had been planning on.
- the repositionable stuff which actually won't hold any position at all.
- the shiny mark which shows through if you get really desperate and try to stick ribbon with aforementioned Glossy Accents. Yes, I've done this more than once.
- running out of staples at the crucial moment, when you are holding it all together with the other hand. (There is some kind of life metaphor in there, there has to be.)
- the "fuss-free" tape dispensers with the cogs which snap. So you can only use them once after all.
- being sent "transfer tape" in an order instead. Er, what is transfer tape?
- the storage space it all needs.
- the PRICE.
So, do you say boo to glue? Or can you give me a clue what you do?
41 comments:
He, he, my main groan with glue isthe mess I get into with it. Why does it always land on where you don't want it. How many times have I got that tape stuff on front of the photo or had to attach an embellishment because of a random dollop of glue dropped on a page.
I tried the pin in the top of a glue pot once.... It went rusty! One tip for ribbon, use double sided tape. But yes boo to glue except where would us scrappers be without it?
Ps. Try running out of staplers in a staplegun while on a stepladder holding up a roll of backing paper when putting up a display at school.... Now that is annoying.
Glossy Accents is annoying, I now only bother with it when I need to do rosettes as it is very good glue.
I use stick-it, a snail and a precision pen, I love them and they are quite cheap and cheerful.
I also use pinflair's silicone glue and a syringe for dimension and attaching embellies :)
Funnily enough I was looking at the hot glue guns in a shop the other day and was wondering about them....
The God of Glue is often quite annoyed with me it seems - glue where it wasn't meant to be, glue that won't stick and the dreaded glue that holds like cement when on something that I need to move. That said I love my ATG as I don't have to re-fill every few days!
I have to agree with the Glossy Accents problem but there is always a pin to hand to solve that one.
I don't use any fancy tape dispensers just DST in a couple of different sizes one really narrow and the other about 6mm.
As for glue I buy really cheap tacky glue which seems to fit just about any job.
I mostly use repo glue, but like you, get cross when it doesn't hold its position. I tend to use DST for ribbon & rik rak.
I feel your pain when it comes to Glossy Accents! You may have noticed the bottle on my desk last week and the headed pins not far away.
I use a Tombow glue stick, DST and a Zig 2 way glue pen. I am looking for a hot glue gun at the moment, but don't like the idea of the 'strings' everywhere.
I use mainly DS tape as it is so easy, but I think I'm allergic to it. My hands just go soooo dry after I've been crafting. I can't be bothered with wet glue so now I'm stuck with those tape runner things which are great, but last about 5 minutes and cost twice as much as DS. I think it's an occupational hazard we'll just have to put up with or we won't doing much crafting. BTW Pritt Stick do make an acid free stick, but it's hard to find. I use Pritt Stick for cards, when longevity matters less.
most of all i detest the glue-tape dispenser thingies - the mouse that you roll along the page and supposedly get a clean line of glue without the contents ever twisting, sticking to themselves or generally not working. big fat waste of money. i say boo to glue!
It is strange how glue knows what you want it to do and then does the opposite. You change your mind about where you have positioned something? Glue will now set instantly like quick drying cement.
You take forever to lay something tricky together on the page and need an instant fix? - glue will refuse to dry.
Glossy accents? Don't get me started. We have a love/hate relationship.
Pleased to see I am not alone with my sticky problems!
Sian,
I feel your pain! And what about those tape runners that won't release and tear your paper? And those errant glue dots that show up where you didn't intend? Sounds like we all have "sticky" issues!
I love Glossy Accents - use it for everything. My main glue staples (ha, sorry) are: Glossy Accents, Double sided tape, various rolls in various thicknesses - don't get on with the dispensers - they don't dispense for me. Pritt stick or varient of, PVA and my never ending bottle of Decopatch which I thought at the time was expensive but has lasted forever and I use it loads - whenever something calls for modpodge - that's what I use.
Glue guns, never had the need to use them and seen the state Craig gets in so I stay welllllll away.
Oh and I have an old, OLD bottle of wood glue that Craig was going to throw away and I rescued - it sticks ANYTHING to ANYTHING! Brilliant stuff.
I always enjoy popping in for a visit to your site. It's so educational! Today, I have added Glossy Accents, silicone glue and a syringe (!), snail glue, ATG, DST, Zig 2 way (to name but a few) to my Glue Dictionary. Who knew all this about Glue!
Thanks for another great post!
Ah glue - the life blood of a scrapper - it can annoy the hell of out of you but you can't do without it. What gets me that there is no one fit solution for all, thereby meaning a whole storage solution for all the various types.!
I don't have many glue complaints. For dry, I use the Scotch ATG gun and love that a roll lasts a long time! For wet, I use Tombow Mono Aqua. Have no problems with the tip clogging. I do use foam squares, but I'm guess I'm not too fussy about the height of my embellies. I guess I've made peace with my glues.
For wet glue I use quick drying pva. I use a permanent Herma for most things but get so frustrated when it jams and 'gunks' up and use masses of foam pads but for me the chunkier the better. It is a standing joke amongst my friends that if I can get more than 1 page per page protector then it is not 'lumpy' enough!
I have to give a big hurrah for Pinflair non-silicon, silicon glue. It does everything the silicon stuff does but it isn't silicon so it doesn't irritate my eczema. I can use it for dimension or just plain sticking. I use DStape for most other things, where dry glue is best but the Pinflair stuff is just fantastic. It seems hugely expensive but Create & Craft TV always have an offer going. OH and I don't think it stinks like silicon glue does. They do a photograph glue too which is excellent!
Oh my Sian!! There are days when it all gets rather frustrating! I've been looking at ATC guns for a while now and just can't pluck up the courage to buy one. I gave up on tape dispensers a while ago and now only use DS tape and foam tape. My glue gun lays dormant ....because of the mess i get into with the hot strings....they end up everywhere!! If you find a solutions please share :) x
Hee hee BOO to the price! It is just robbery, plain and simple. ;)
I'm not even going to mention the digital solution to glue (!) but if I have to stick photos down, I use repositionable Herma. For anything that needs a dollop of firmness, Mod Podge. Am with you in your frustations!
I use repositionable photo glue for most of my scrapping (imported from Holland's equivalent of Woolworths) and DST with that red extra sticky stuff when it needs to be strong and Diamond Glaze (a bit like Glossy Accents) which has stopped gunging up now that I slam the bottle down on the desk before replacing the lid after the last use of the day!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who gets string when using a hot glue gun, I thought I was doing something wrong. Also my roller tape dispensers always seem to get jammed and gummed up I mainly stick to and with DST and glue dots
Ah, glue. So true! I mainly use double-sided tape, but the backing can be a pain to remove (or can tear part way along, which is even worse...) For wet glue, I discovered Matte Multi Medium via the Tim Holtz class I did. It's fabulous - can even stick metal, and dries without the shine of Glossy Accents so is less obvious when I've got dabs where I didn't intend to have dabs!
Oh Sian,
So many of these made giggle! Especially the repositionable comment! I basically love my ATG gun, but hate it when I'm out of refills.
I also had how "glue dots" always stick to the wrong side of the cellophane!
rinda
I use mainly DST, but also Pritt Stick and foam pads in various sizes
Alison xx
I was going to join Alexa in a little digital gloat ... but, I do use DS tape, and the sort that comes 'nude' - not in a dispenser ... it is very convenient and economical. When wet glue is required my favourite is the Pritt gel, it sticks anything to anything and doesn't seem to puckle as does pva, which I use when I run out of Pritt.
I HATE glue dots with the transparent film on the top - just give me a roll or them with nothing else on thanks. I love my ATG though. You did make me laugh, you knooo ;-)
I just love Tombo glue...the clear liquid stuff and the stick version as well.
I love how silicone glue sticks heavier embellishments so well...but then it solidifies in the tube...and takes hours of scraping out!!!
I totally recognise your description of using a glue gun....not to mention the burnt fingers!!
Someday someone will invent the perfect craft glue....and make a fortune.
I'm basically a Pritt Stick girl for basic card and paper. I use double sided tape but hate peeling off the backing - same applies for foam pads.
Glossy Accents - I've given up and unscrew the lid and use a wooden skewer to get the glue out. I have PVA for some sticking and like ZIG Memory System 2 way glue for finer work - especially good for writing or applying glitter to defined areas.
Alexa perhaps has the right idea, but then I'd miss getting into a mess! Hope your glue strings become untangled... ;)
Yep I can relate to most of those comments. I was putting some LOs in an album today and noticed how some are already coming apart. My daughter calls Shimelle 'The magic glue girl' because she always seems able to stick stuff with so little effort and we either make a mess (DD mostly) or have to restick everything.
Lol, yes I have glue woes too. I am always frustrated that I can't find the right glues for my, and I'm always trying new ones! There's some good tips here in the comments for some more I can try out too!
I have to use a tape runner, though I haven't found one I 'love', but DST takes me too long and I hate getting glue stick on my fingers (which is weird because I'm fine about the being covered in PVA?!) But I'll keep experimenting until the perfect combination comes along!
P.S. You were the winner of my homemade smash book giveaway! x
I think we all can relate to this. After years of experimenting I've finally found some solutions. I love American Craft This to That tape runners. I've been lucky to get them at wholesale while I've been on the DT for Scrap-Mart, but that will end soon. They are the most reliable ones I've ever had. I like Glossy Accents when I need something stronger, as well as glue dots, and Scor-tape. Scor-tape is especially good for ribbons.
I like the idea of slamming it down on the desk after use. The pin went rusty for me too.
Don't have any I love - pritt/scotch glue stick, that pink double sided sheets and glue dots all get used but then I've not found one for photos I love - several just don't keep the photos on the page which I do find rather a drawback...
you made me smile and also feel like I'm not alone in my glue trauma.
why am I the only one who seems to get a tiny dot of glue from my glue runner in the middle of my photo that won't come up but rather smudges all across the sky/face/flower instead? why does wet glue dry too fast when you need a bit of wiggle room and too slow when you are in a rush? why does permanent come off and repositional stick hard and fast?
nice to find a kíndred spirit. I use a local German cheap and cheerful glue runner from a Boots style shop but should stock up again on my favourite Herma perm and non perm glue dot runners. I use glossy accents and also a thick clear German glue when I need something a bit more solid and as for lace/ribbon/lace paper, no suitable glue yet invented!
Have you seen the tiny bottles of Glossy Accents? I'm definitely going to get one of those - so much less to get clogged up!
Here's a top tip for getting you to appreciate your own adhesives ... try going away for a weekend crafting and accidentally leaving your tool tote [filled with ALL your essentials] in your hallway. Then having to beg,s teal and borrow anything + everything for 4 days.
Not that I'm speaking from personal experience you understand. As if *I'd* do anything as silly as that ...
Mmmm ... glue, horrid over-priced stuff. But I do rather love my Aileen's Tacky glue (not sure if you can get it in the UK, I actaully bought mine home in a suitcase from Canada I think!). Otherwise, I would sew everything, but then I would have to learn how to re-thread the bobbin properly *sigh*. probably not a good time to ask for pointers on the best glue to use on the paper bags, lol!(just about to start my project). Maybe I will dust off the sewing machine! x
I think this is one issue that unites all of us! My go-to adhesive for 80% of my adhering is the Tombow Mono Permanent tape runner. It's not perfect, but it's the best one I've tried. I know everyone swears by the big giant ones (ATG, etc.), but I have such a small space that I know it would make me crazy. I feel your pain re: the Glossy Accents -- totally awesome glue that clogs every time. I can't bang it on the table while my little one sleeps on the other side of the wall, so I just use my paper piercer to open up the nozzle each time. I like Zots glue dots, but they stopped putting the roll on a cardboard spool, so it's a little less handy to work with.
My biggest beef with adhesives is that there are so many different kinds and that runners are super-convenient but inherently wasteful. They tempt you to use too much. After scrapping nearly 10 years I've gotten it down to 3 or necessary types of glue - including Stampin Up's dimensional foam dots - they are the perfect height. I've also learned that not all adhesives stand the test of time - as dozens of layouts falling apart testifies too.
I'm a strictly a 'double sided tape' & 'glue dot' kinda girl myself!!...although in recent months I've been tempted to dabble with 'Marvelous Marvin' gel medium & rather like it, as far as a 'wet' glue goes!! Thanks for the tip about gluing a pin into the cap of 'Glossy Accents'...very much appreciated!! I tend to stock up on adhesive pads of various thicknesses, along with reels & reels of tape of different widths & jumbo spools of 'Stix2anything' mini & very small gluedots at Ally Pally in the Spring, to take advantage of 'Show Prices' & I'm sorted for the year! I do have a glue gun but don't use it because of those very same 'strings'!!! :)
Glue + me = big mess. I use bookbinders glue, in a tub with a stick. great on everything I need. I would always go for DST first though. My S-I-L made Christmas cards drawing a christmas tree using a glue gun incorporating those strings! I'll look for it.
I love all the comments here for such a great post Sian x
ACK - glue guns. Mine is in the basement after I got fed up of it and burning myself more times than I care to mention. :) As for repositionable tape - I feel your pain. It either doesn't reposition or it doesn't stick at all. As for storage I solved that problem when a friend's father made up a wooden glue caddy that I love for holding them all in one place on my worktable.
the one thing that irritates me about glue is the cost! it just seems like such a waste... when you think about all the scrappy things you could buy instead of the glue (I feel that way about albums as well). I like the pop ups, glue dots, double sided, and now I use American crafts refillables. Each has their place but again they all cost more than I like to pay :)
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