What Sticks?

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A candid look at buying adhesives
Reported By Sue Mylde

Let’s face it, a scrapbooker without her glue is nothing at all. In fact, I’ve been known to call my husband at 5pm on a Friday afternoon to ask him to buy glue sticks before he comes home and not to forget on his life, if he’d like a pleasant weekend! But there are so many glue sticks, glue tape rollers, liquid glues, scotch-tape (if you’re so inclined) out there. Which one to use?

There’s really an adhesive for everything… so get a range of them.

For your basic sticking, I really can’t say I believe in one adhesive more than another, since they all serve different purposes. I have enjoyed using all kinds of adhesives from the different brands - read HERE for my UHU product review - there’s also Pritt, Tombo, ... and the list goes on and on.

The general glue stick (whatever brand - I use my local Grand and Toy one, not because it’s better but because the store is closest to me) is most handy for sticking paper to paper or as the case may be, cardstock to paper or cardstock to cardstock. I make all my cards, mini albums and scrapbook pages with this one for general sticking. It is the most handy tool and I can’t live without it. Give me more glue sticks in my Christmas stocking and I’m over the moon - throw in some stamps there too and you’ve made my year!

I like the tape rollers - but in all honesty, I use them only when my glue stick runs out, OR where my glue stick won’t work - like for taping ribbons to paper. The thing about the tape rollers is that they’re less messy and really professional-looking. Hence, you’ll see your Stampin’ Up! demonstrator using it to demonstrate at the workshops she conducts. As a demonstrator myself, I’ve gotten ooohs and aahs for using the tape roller alone - not even my embossing gun gets that much attention at some workshops! It is a miracle creation!

Remember you don’t only have to buy the ‘scrapbooking’ brands. I tend to find that the scrapbooking brands are a little overpriced. Personally, I’m in love with the stickiest kind - I’ve found that to be Pritt.

But you know there are just some things that you can’t just use a glue stick or tape roller for. I’ve found glue dots extremely handy for all sorts of sticking - ribbons, embellishments and even Prima flowers or buttons.. I like the brand Glue Dots since it brings dots in different sizes - mini ones, middle size ones and even huge ones. I keep (or hoard) a whole range because you never know what size you might need, right? Again, with this one too, you can find glue dots at your local stationery store.

Then there’s the all important vellum tape for use with vellum paper. My favourite tape is the E-Z runner for vellum by Scrapbook Adhesives. And really, this is the only adhesive that I’d go to a scrapbooking store to look for - and hope they carry my favourite brand. You don’t want the tape to show through the vellum, hence you have to pick the one that works the best.

My point is, ladies, when it comes to adhesive, unless you’re sticking embellishments or want a dimensional-look for your project, glue is glue. Don’t be fooled that only the ones in the scrapbook store works - save your money for yummy embellishments instead and buy your basic adhesive at your local stationery store… Unless there’s a sale of course, then all bets are off! :)