Tips,Techniques & Problem Solving
Problem solving - Adhesives:
Card curling when using glue:
This is due to the moisture in the glue. Either put it beneath your cutting mat/a book to dry, or use an alternative adhesive such as double sided tape or tacky glue.
Making your 3D pads/Double Sided Tape repositionable!
When you have positioned your double sided sticky pads & removed the backing paper, if you smear them with your glue stick, it will make them easier to slide into position.
If you find that you are getting blobs of glue behind your work when using a glue stick try the following:
- Buy supermarket or stores own brands rather than the expensive ones, they are generally 'drier' but you will find this helps. These are the ONLY ones I use personally.
- Smear the glue stick lightly as if applying lip balm, as if you apply too much pressure this will also cause blobs.
- If you find you have smeared some glue where it wasn't meant to go, wait until it stops being tacky and rub over gently with a clean dry finger or pencil eraser to remove. This almost always works.
Removing backing paper from DST & 3D pads:
If you are having problems removing the backing paper from your tape (I find this depends on how the tape has been stored regardless of price or brand) I use the blunt side of an old craft knife to slide beneath the paper which makes it really easy. I also find that it helps to 'bond' the tape to the work using your bone folder, or the end of a ruler.
You can buy finger lift tape, which has a wider paper backing than the tape itself, but it costs up to three times the price of the regular stuff and it is rather difficult to run right up against the edge as you can't see where the tape edge is through the backing paper.
I find that tweezers are a great help in dealing with 3D pads, not only to remove them from the carrier sheet, but for positioning & removing the backing papers. A pointed tool will also work, but takes a bit of practice.
Which glue/adhesive?
- Silicone - attaching 3d objects such as shells etc to your work. It also sticks everything from glass and metal to decoupage, but check it out on a scrap of your work first to ensure it doesn't bleed through.
- The down side: A very pungent odour, it can be very messy too!
- Glue Gel - All the same uses as above, but without the pungent odour. Good for dried flowers as it doesn't bleed the colour of the specimen.
- Tape runners/tape mice -
- I use a permanent one on such items as vellum, mulberry paper etc. where other glues would be visible.
- The repositionable one for creating masks when I am stamping. Also good for sticking unmounted rubber stamps to acrylic blocks.
- The down side: By far the most expensive adhesive product currently on the market.
- PVA glue - Good as an all purpose glue when sandwiching large areas together - use a brush.
- The down side:Tends to warp the project as it dries.
- Book Binding Glue Gel - I was introduced to this glue by a friend & it has become a staple part of my kit. Great when you need to stick something to foiled or glittered card. It has amazing properties, in so far as you can literally rub away the excess that squidges out from beneath your embellishment!
- The down side: The odour is even more pungent than silicone glue.
- Tacky Glue - A dedicated 'hobby' glue, great for making boxes as it dries almost instantly. Generally comes with a fine tip nozzle so more accuracy than PVA glue. Rarely warps the project as you need only a touch.
- The down side: More of a tip really, I store mine upside down, this helps prevent it clogging up!
- Multi-Purpose clear glue - good for sticking transparent heavier objects such as glass pebbles etc. Will also stick metal to your work.
- The down side: The odour is almost eye watering, so make sure you use it in a well ventilated area.
- Glitter glue - used mainly as decoration, but can be used as a regular paper glue especially for kids, who generally apply too much glue and it squidges out from beneath the object - least glitter glue will look pretty!
- The down side:The glue tends to 'spread' as it dries.
- Glue sticks - Fabulous for the kids, also a great way to stick large surfaces together, or to smear onto 3D pads to make them repositionable.
- The down side:Given time, the layers you so carefully stuck together begin to peel apart, & the work invariably warps unless you keep it under something heavy & flat to dry.
- Fabric glue - Use to hold things in place temporarily while sewing, or to bond two pieces of fabric together. Fabric glue is heavier than regular glue making it less inclined to seep through the weave of the fabric.
- Hot glue/glue guns - Great for 3D objects such as shells & glass pebbles.
- The down side:Be wary when using it on plastic, vellum or acetate as the heat will warp these.
- Superglue - I have personally never found a need for it in my crafting?
Other Stuff
Stamping Tips
Stamping your image:
- Do a test stamp on a scrap of the card/paper etc. you intend to use for your project - this will help you to decide which type of ink you need to use, some materials absorb the ink rapidly so you won't be able to heat emboss even if you do use a pigment ink and some materials soak up ink like blotting paper so the definition of the stamped image will be lost. It will also help you decide which colour ink/embossing powder will work best with your project.
- Place the stamp face up and apply ink by gently dabbing the ink pad onto the stamp. If the stamp is too large, use a brayer.
- Don’t dab too hard or else you will get blobs of ink inside the detail on the stamp so you won’t get a good result.
- You need a solid surface to work on, that will not ‘give’ when you apply pressure to the stamp.
- You may find it easier to stand up while stamping.
- If you use one hand to position the stamp then completely cover the stamp with that hand, and position your other hand on top of the first to apply pressure, move this hand to different positions to apply the pressure to the entire stamp, do not move the hand holding the stamp.
- Try not to wobble the stamp as this will blur the image.
- If you do have trouble with image blur you will find clear acrylic stamps easier to work with as they allow some wobble.
- Stamping onto acetate.It takes a bit practice not to smudge the image so practice on scrap acetate at first until you are confident. The best tip I can pass on is to make sure your acetate is clean. I wipe mine over with a baby wipe and then carefully dry with kitchen paper. This removes finger marks and any dust and residue. Use a permanent ink pad and dab it gently onto the surface of the stamp until it is completely inked. Stand up if you can and carefully lower the stamp into position, place one hand across the entire surface of the stamp and use your other hand to apply pressure. Apparently there is a right and wrong side to acetate (as I have never actually bought any as I always recycle from packaging I couldn't swear to this) but I am told that it is the slightly rough side you need to be stamping on).
Cleaning your stamps:
Buy a cheap pack of baby wipes in the pound shop (try and make sure they are acid free - though you would assume they all would be, being for a baby and all) - and keep them in your kit. Great for sticky fingers, cleaning stamps, wiping paint brushes on etc. If you use archival/permanent inks they will stain your stamps, but this will not effect their performance. However there is a stamp cleaner on the market.
Using paints to stamp your image:
You can use paint rather than ink to stamp your image, but if using acrylic water it down well first, and I find soaking one of those thin flat kitchen sponges with the paint and then dabbing the stamp into that works well, just make sure you don't dab too hard or the paint will stick into the places on the stamp that are meant to stay hollow.
Heat Embossing Tips
- Experiment! You can use any colour ink to stamp your image & a different colour powder to emboss. Some powders are denser than others, so the ink will not show through. But some lovely effects can be created using a different colour ink to powder.
- Use waste paper beneath your work to collect the excess embossing powder to return to the container.
- You can wipe a used dry tumble drier sheet across the surface of treated card before stamping your image to help prevent the powder from adhering to any finger marks etc (a dry baby wipe works just as well).
- Flick the card with your fingers from the back to remove any stray particles of powder before heating - or remove with a fine paint brush.
- You could use a wooden sprung clothes peg to hold the card you are heating to avoid burning your fingers.
- Card naturally curls when you apply heat to it, so the thinner the card the more it will curl, to keep the curling to a minimum run the heat gun until it gets hot before applying it to the card - particularly if using vellum, the hotter you get the gun, the less the vellum or card will curl. When the embossing powder is 'cooked' turn over the work & run the heat gun over the back, this will help the card to 'uncurl'.
- Heat both sides of the card alternately to reduce curling.
- Heat the powder in sections rather than waving the gun back and forth, once the powder melts move on to the next section until you have completed the entire image, if the powder goes dull it is because you kept the heat on it too long! It takes a bit of practice, but WELL worth the effort.
- Allow time for the heated powder to set, don't be tempted to try and remove particles now as: a) It's too late: b) You will burn your fingers on the melted powder: c) You will smudge the image!
- If you want a glassier finish, heat the powder from the back of the card rather than from the front.
Punches locking up - Maintenance tip!
Keep hold of all of the carrier sheets from 3D pads as they are great for keeping your punches in good condition, using them on the carrier sheet seems to help prevent them locking up so often?
Land locked cutting tip:
When using your craft knife to cut out landlocked pieces on your decoupage, cut these out before cutting up the sheet as you will find it easier than holding down small parts while trying to reach the small landlocked areas, & it also helps prevent tearing of small parts
Creating a 'fish tail' shape easily at the ends of your ribbon:
Simply fold the end your ribbon in half through the length, and using sharp scissors and beginning at the edge of the ribbon, make a diagonal cut to the fold.
Bleeching
If you can't find any card in your stash that will bleech, use DYE BASED INK & a cosmetic sponge wedge & cover some card large enough to meet your requirements. Allow the ink to dry & then stamp your image using PIGMENT INK & embossing powder. Bleech out your chosen areas & then allow to dry.
