Monday, November 29, 2010

minion

 hello? is someone there?

 aha! i thought i heard something rustling around my desk.

hi little minion!

i made this guy for miss j.a., hence the "j" on the minion's pocket. i worked off of wolfdreamer's pattern changing a little bit here and there. the hardest part was his mouth. i tried out a couple of different mouths cut from felt but nothing looked quite right. i eventually had to ditch the felt and went with a simple stitched smile. now, off my little minion, to do as miss j.a.'s bids!

Friday, November 12, 2010

dawbis's lovely paper

dawbis of lovely paper, is a paper magician. what she does is so incredibly unique that i really haven't seen anything quite like it. when i saw her latest work in progress, i had a "eee-i-really-need-to-show-someone-how-amazing-this-is" moment. so i shall share it here!

 
 
images used with permission from dawbis

isn't it beautiful? everything she creates is a true work of art but something about this one, i really can't wait to see it finished. maybe it's the cute animals :) i'm hoping that someday, her work will be used as illustrations in a children's book. wouldn't they be perfect? to view more, visit dawbis's blog and flickr. she also has a vintage paper collection that is museum worthy. you really must check it out.

Friday, November 5, 2010

do i really need all this glue?

the answer is yes, yes i do. the other day i tried to open my glue drawer and it was so full it got stuck. so i thought i'd venture in there and share what i found.



mod podge - crafters love this stuff because it's versatile and easy to use. i've used it as glue, sealant, i've even used it on felt. dries clear, shiny, and surprisingly non-tacky. they make several varieties including glow in the dark, satin, outdoor, fabric, and glitter which is the one with the silver label in the photo above.

pva - polyvinyl acetate. traditionally used as a bookbinding glue. pH neutral, permanent, and it's supposed to stay flexible even after it's dried. this is strong, strong stuff. imagine it as kind of a high quality elmer's glue.

aleene's original tacky glue - this is one of my favorite all purpose glues though i wouldn't recommend it for paper since i'm pretty sure it would wrinkle if you're not careful.

fabri-tac - ultra strong and dries super quick so you need to work fast. my favorite for gluing felt details to amis especially since it's washable. avoid using this one after getting your nails done... it has acetone in it which will destroy a manicure in seconds. lesson learned the hard way.

glue dots - falls between glue and tape. i use these all the time to glue down small, non-paper details like ribbons and buttons. no drying time needed and it's a lot neater than messing with glue.

elmer's glue - i honestly don't even remember buying this but i suppose it's handy to have around.

rubber cement - ah, i remember discovering rubber cement in grade school and i was fascinated by it. i loved how fast it dried and how easy it was to get off your hands. though, over several years, it may dry out and lose it's hold. there are a few kusudama's that i made back in the day using rubber cement that fell apart. if you're looking for a strong hold, be sure to apply rubber cement to both surfaces before smushing them together. great for paper since it dries wonderfully wrinkle-free.

aleene's glass and bead - the name says it all. i think i originally bought this to make glass bead magnets. i also usually have a tube of E6000 around but i just discovered that it dried out. works great on non-porous materials and dries clear.

zig 2 way glue pen - love love this glue. it can be temporary or permanent depending on how you use it. it has a fine tip so it's my favorite for neatly gluing tiny paper details. avoid the marker tip pen because the tip will solidify once the glue touches it.

glue gun - every household should have a glue gun. excellent for building bridges out of coffee stirrers or gluing magnets to anything.

missing from my stash:
spray adhesive - ideal for larger paper projects. but i rarely do large scale paper projects and it requires outdoor use and a mask which is just too much trouble for me.

glue sticks - these are great for kids since they're usually non-toxic and non-messy but their ability to hold isn't the best and i go through them so fast it's not economical.

judikins diamond glaze - i dream about diamond glaze. definitely the priciest glue on this list which is why i have yet to buy it. it dries to a dimensional, glass-like finish which is how you make those cool scrabble tile pendants and bottle cap magnets that you see everywhere. also good for vellum and as a lacquer.

am i missing anything? i'd love to hear about your favorites especially if they're not on this list :)  i think this is my longest post yet... and it's about glue. am i crazy?