Reported by Jessica Ripley
I was first introduced to
Crafters Companion products when a
review of their
Rock-A-Blocks Stamp Mounting System right here on Craft Critique intrigued me. I thought, it was an innovative idea. So it certainly didn't surprise me at all to see their booth at CHA Summer 2010 full of exciting products that I couldn't wait to get my hands on to try.
Something that immediately had my attention was the
Stick Away and Stick and Spray duo.
As a Cricut Expression owner, the promise that together they could extend the life of my cutting mats sounded almost too good to be true. I go through so many mats, and that cost certainly adds up! Not to mention after a while, even if they still do the job of holding down the paper while cutting, they just get kind of nasty.
It may be a bit hard to see in the above photo, but fellow Cricut owners can probably attest that the adhesive on the mat gets gunked up (technical term) after so many uses. And, the little bits of paper, dust, etc that can get stuck in that gunk (and cat hair too, I'll admit it). So, I was very anxious to try the first step of cleaning off the mat with the
Stick Away spray.
The entire process is a simple three steps, unless repeating the first two is necessary to really remove all that old adhesive residue (I only had to do it once). All that is needed are the two sprays,
Stick Away and Stick and Spray, as well as an old credit card or something similar to scrape away the residue.
Something to note, these instructions to renew your cutting mats aren't actually on the products themselves. You must go to the
Crafters Companion website to find
them, however once you do, you will also find a wealth of other fun how-tos, videos, and project ideas that make that step worthwhile.
After spraying the mat with
Stick Away, allow it to set for about 30 seconds or so to penetrate all that old adhesive. Then simply scrape away using an old card. Just look at all this stuff that comes off!
Immediately I could see how clean my mat now was. No more gunk (or... cat hair).
Next, it's a good idea to tape the edges of the mat before applying what will make it tacky again, the
Stick and Spray. This is partially to protect your work surface, but also to be sure that any part of the mat which wasn't sticky before doesn't have adhesive on it when going into the machine.
Again after about 30 seconds the product had done its job, and my mat felt tacky and ready to test. It was clean, and aside from the deep cut marks of a few past projects, seemed almost like new! I say "almost", as it wasn't quite as sticky as when I first took it out of the package, but then again, I actually think when they are brand new the mats are slightly too sticky and it is difficult to remove the first few die cuts I make with them.
This was not the case at all after I used the
Stick Away and Stick and Spray. The mat worked wonderfully, and though I had to use the spatula to loosen them a bit, the die cuts came off beautifully. And the mat was tacky enough to use again.
How long will one application last? I've used the mat at least three more times since this original application and don't yet feel the need to reapply. But when I do, I have the generously sized 5.9 oz. cans of
Stick Away and Stick and Spray ready to use again rather than having to run to the store for another mat. Also at a cost of about $15.00 for the duo, they are much friendlier on the wallet as well when I add up how much I've spent on mat after mat. Have you used this combo for even longer before having to reapply? Let us know in the comments.
Both products are meant to have multiple uses as well. The
Stick Away Spray is, at its base, an adhesive remover. It can be used to remove gum, tar, labels, and even residue on rubber stamps. The
Stick and Spray is a repositionable adhesive which can be used to place stencils and adhere rubber stamps to acrylic blocks. You can even use it to turn any piece of paper into a "sticky-note". It also needs to be mentioned that both products are acid-free, so there is no fear of anything the products come in contact with touching your precious photos.
The
Stick and Spray as mentioned above is meant also to be used to apply unmounted rubber stamps to an acrylic block.
Crafters Companion line of
S.W.A.L.K Stamps are a good example of how this process would work.
All of these
stamps are adorably designed, and even though as I'm sure I have mentioned in past reviews, I am not that much of a stamper, I found this one to be a very cute addition to the few that I do have.
Too large for any acrylic block I had on hand, I did need to trim the stamp down to fit. However this was easily done. The rubber was thin and flexible. After spraying just a bit of
Stick and Spray on the back and adhering to an acrylic block, I created the card below:
You can see many beautifully done cards using the
S.W.A.L.K collection at
Crafters Companion's website
gallery. They certainly make me consider adding one or two more to my collection.
Last but certainly not least, I had an opportunity to play with the time and mess saving product called
Spray and Sparkle. This is going to be a must for all those upcoming holiday crafts, when glittering projects with abandon is deemed perfectly acceptable.
Essentially a varnish, each of the four available colors also contains a very fine glitter within that adds as little or as much sparkle to your project as you desire. From just a touch of shine, to a full on glitter covered piece, the
spray is extremely easy to use. Using the gold, I covered one of the die cuts I had made above in only a few seconds:
After I let it dry for the recommended 30 minutes, I then made the easy holiday card below. I also sprayed the entire card just once with the gold glitter spray for a touch of shine:
The
Spray and Sparkle is also quite easy to use when it comes to covering a variety of surfaces in glitter. It takes away the worry of coating something with too much or too little glue as it combines the adhesive and glitter into one step. I tested the
Multicolor Spray and Sparkle on a glass holiday ornament, and achieved the below results:
A nice touch, it almost appears silver. The flecks of color in the Multicolor spray are subdued but there. In fact I would describe the Multicolor as more of a Silver with flecks of color, and it honestly isn't my favorite, I prefer the gold.
Also, I have to mention the odor of the
Spray and Sparkle. It is very strong (remember it is essentially a varnish). Even though it is non-toxic and also acid-free, this is not a product you should work with without an open window or even outside. It does cut down on a normal glittery mess, but is a spray, therefore just as you would with spray paint you must take steps to protect your work surface and area as appropriate. Finally, it is a little expensive at $8.95 per can, however I can see one can lasting a very long time.
In summary, do I think these products are a good addition to my crafty stash? Yes, definitely. For all their other uses the
Stick Away and Stick and Spray will become a huge asset when it comes to both saving time and money from cutting down on the need for buying brand new cutting mats. And the
Spray and Sparkle will be one of those products that I'm sure I'll find myself reaching for again and again, just to add that special touch.
Pros:
- The combination of Stick Away and Stick and Spray can extend the life of cutting mats exponentially and will be both a money and a time saver.
- Both products have other uses as well, such as adhering rubber stamps to acrylic blocks, or even many household uses, increasing their value.
- Spray and Sparkle cuts down on mess and time, and is just plain fun to use on projects.
Cons:
- The magic combination of Stick Away and Stick and Spray won't be as handy if you don't own a die cut machine with a mat.
- Odor for all products is strong, and though the Stick Away has a perfumed scent, working near an open window is a must.
- Sprays are a little messy even if easy to use, protect your work area well.
Giveaway!
The kind folks at
Crafter's Companion have provided us with a set of
Stick Away and
Stick and Spray
for one of our lucky readers. Just leave a comment on either of today's articles, and answer this question:
What stuff you need to stick, or unstick, around your house?
Disclosure
