What type of adhesive to use

by Samantha Roberts
(United Kingdom)

I recently bought some snowflakes from a shop and are made out of paper and I just don't know how to stick them on to my cards.

I have tried using PVA glue and the snowflakes cave in and shrivel up.

I have tried using a glue stick but then that stick to everything

They are too small for me to use double sided sticky tape

I just don't know what to do. They are beautiful things and I don't know what else to use

Samantha

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Hi Samantha

It can be so frustrating when we have a picture of what we want in mind but can't quite get it to work. I'm glad you wrote to me about this problem. I imagine a lot of readers are making their holiday cards right now and there could be a few people having similar problems.

It sounds as though your snowflakes are rather delicate? I was wondering if you have tried using a Xyron sticker machine to apply your adhesive? You can buy a small version of a Xyron machine at a craft or stationery store. They are inexpensive and easy to use.

You just feed the delicate items you want to adhere through the machine, rub the clear cover thoroughly with the back of your fingernail or a paper flower tool, then lift the clear cover off.

Your snowflakes will now be sitting on the Xyron backing paper and have a layer of adhesive on their backs. You just peel them up and place them where you want them.

I'm about to make a page about this under the Adhesives section of PaperCraftCentral if you would like to see some pictures of how my experiment with sending some punched hearts from thin, lacy paper through my Xyron went. I think it turned out well :)

I hope this helps. Let me know how you go? And if anyone else reading this has some other ways of handling delicate items and adhering them to their cards/scrapbook pages, please do let us know.

Here's to Paper Crafting (Gotta love it even when it's a challenge! Lol!)
Susan
https://www.papercraftcentral.com

Glue Problem

(Mrs Susan Walsh)

I'm am new to making cards but I am having a problem.When I stick paper onto card ie say the card measures 5x7, and I'm going to stick paper, say an inch all round smaller onto the card. I'm using a good quality glue, not too much, but when it dries the card is distorted. Can you help, please? Thank you.

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Hello Susan. Nice name, by the way :)

The problem you are having must be with the glue. Glue is a liquid, and liquids warp papers. The drier the glue, the less warping you will get. That's why I like using Stampin' Up!'s Anywhere Glue Stick. Not only is it a relatively dry glue, it is a rectangular shape so you can get right into your corners with it.

I also use Snail Adhesive for small pieces of paper, and make sure I press the two pieces of paper together well on a flat surface with a bone folder or my finger.

Sometimes glue is needed for heavier projects. I never add glue to the entire back of something unless it is fairly small. I usually put a thin bead around the perimeter of what I am gluing, so less of the surface gets wet.

The other thing you could try of course is the good old put-your-drying-project-under-a-heavy-book trick. Let your project dry for a day under a heavy book and it should turn out much flatter :)

There's more information about adhesives here on papercraftcentral.com, and that might also help.

If you would like to purchase any of the adhesives from Stampin' Up! AND you live in Australia, you can do so at my Stampin' Up! website. Click on 'shop now' just above my picture.

If you do not live in Australia, there might be a Stampin' Up! demonstrator in your country, so do see if there is one nearby with the country locator (found at the right at the top of the page. Click on Australia to see if your country is listed in the drop down menu and go from there).

Let me know how you go!

Happy crafting

Susan

Sealing or Manipulating sheets of paper

by Cathy Sampson

Hi Susan,

I'm looking for a method of a applying a substance to sheets of paper that I've hand lettered that will allow me to shape the paper, and then hold their shape once dry. I know this is similar to paper mache' but I'm not creating a form using newspaper. I want to sculpt so-to-speak my 8.5" x 11" parchment paper to have soft rolls in some instances, and sharp angles with crinkles in others. I'd ultimately like the manuscripts to stand vertically on their own flattened bases. I'm a calligrapher wanting to use my hand-lettered work in non-traditional ways.

I'm not at my own computer (I'm in an ICU waiting area with a very long wait ahead of me).

And I'll check back later. Thanks so much. You have a warm, personal, web site which I've enjoyed very much :)

Cathy Sampson

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Hi Cathy

Thank you so much for your question. I think I know what you may mean, but maybe one day show me a picture? Your work sounds so interesting and original...

I have only embossed parchment and folded it into creased shapes before. There are lots of books about parchment craft that may assist you though. I did a search of them and have put a link to one at the end fro you to look at.

I think you may be talking about an entirely novel way of using parchment paper that could require lots of experiments before you achieve the look you want :)

You could find or make a plastic or clear resin shape to mold your parchment over?

If you use a permanent/waterproof marker/ink to letter your parchment, I would be tempted to experiment with using layers of mod podge on the parchment paper. Use a scrap parchment as a guinea pig first. Maybe lots of layers of mod podge would stiffen the parchment enough to allow it to hold its shape and stand alone. After you have shaped and lettered your parchment, paint the back of it with mod podge. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next. If your lettering/artwork will stand up to being coated in mod podge, paint the front of your piece as well.

If your parchment piece is small it may stand alone after this treatment but if it is larger I wonder if you will still need a more substantial frame to help your project stand up though....perhaps suspend the parchment shape from a stand-alone frame?

I don't know if this will help but did you know that you can make paper casts? You can make shapes from clay and you can also carve words/lines into the clay. Shapes that are carved onto clay will stand out when you mold hand made paper onto them (I know hand made paper is not like parchment but this idea intrigued me).

You need to carve your clay, allow it to dry, then fire it so it will hold its shape. As clay is porous, coat the fired clay with four coats of water based polyurethane, allowing each coat to dry thoroughly before applying the next.

Then you can press semi-wet hand made paper onto the mold. Once the paper is dry you can remove it and it will hold the shape of the mold.

You can of course further decorate your paper any way you want to after it is shaped and dried.

This method means you would probably have to start with the shape THEN add your lettering.

Another idea is to search for 'sculpted vellum images' on Google and some of those images may hold a clue or a link to a site that will help.

Thank you so much for your kind words about my site. They mean so much :) When you mentioned having a long wait in intensive care my heart went out to you. I hope that whoever you are waiting for comes through their ordeal well.

And if anyone else reading this has some ideas that would help Cathy, please do add them here :)

Happy Paper Crafting

Susan
PS: I put in the image of a paperbark tree that grows here in Australia because many crafters use its bark in different ways to make their crafts and art. I hope you enjoy seeing it.

This book has information about parchment craft in it:

Parchment Craft: Over 15 Original Projects Plus Dozens of New Design Ideas

Adhesive Advice Needed

by Melissa
(Dothan, AL)

I need to find an adhesive that will not blur the ink on copier paper, newspaper, etc. I will be using it to adhere paper to microscope glass, then put two pieces of glass together, cover edges with copper foil, and then solder the 2 pieces of glass together. Can you recommend a glue/adhesive that will work for me?

I would appreciate any help you could give.

Thanks, Melissa

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Hi Melissa

Wow, that sounds like an interesting glass project you are making there. I have never personally tried a project such as you describe.

Do you have any spare slides that you could experiment with? It sounds as though you need a clear, very thin glue,, and preferably one that is archival so the quality of you paper will not be affected by the glue itself. I would try adhering the paper to the glass with an adhesive you can apply thinly on to the glass that will then level itself off instead of drying with ridges, as that could cause the layers of glass to crack. However, adhering the sandwich together all at once may keep this from becoming a problem.

One glue I found that may be suitable is Super Glass Glue, which is used to attach items to windows and mirrors. I found some advertised here but you can probably find it at your local hardware store. Read the label carefully as I could not find our whether it was archival for you by reading the web information about it only.

Somewhere else I found they were recommending that people use duco cement to glue glass and small pieces of paper together. Use it thinly. You can find it at a hardware store too.

Another person I found uses spray glue (3M super 77 Multipurpose Adhesive) for larger pieces of paper and glass. She said it worked perfectly (even, full coverage, can't see any traces of glue on window). All you do is spray it on the paper and stick it directly to the glass.

When you use newsprint and copier paper, do be aware that both contain lignin in significant quantities and this lignin will turn the paper yellow and brittle over time, especially when the paper is exposed to sunlight.

Please let me know how you get on with your project. I'd love to see what you are making when you are finished.

Happy crafting!
Susan


PS: I have plenty of information about papercrafting adhesives on PaperCraftCentral.com if you are planning a card, scrapbook or off-the-page project.