Glue, gloo and glew

How many different kinds of glue can one crafter have? I never seem to have enough and am always trying different kinds for different purposes.

I use glue sticks for quick jobs on projects that will be kept only for a short time. Glue sticks are nice and sticky, forgiving if you want to reposition them a bit after sticking it down, and they are very inexpensive. But after a while, the glue on a project seems to crack and elements, even papers stuck together, pop apart. Not good so I don't use it on my heirloom type projects.

I love my rolling glue dispenser cartridge from Tombow Mono. They are very easy to use, stick quite well, but I find them expensive. I've even had a few that popped apart after a while too but only on coated or textured paper. I did pick up a new, stickier version at the craft store this week so I'll see if it holds better.

Then there is double sided tape on a roll. I've used the white roll and am now about to try the red one. Apparently that one is quite good so we'll see. These can range from inexpensive to expensive and can be a pain to apply as you have to cut each piece and then peel off the top layer, which can be aggravating too as the edges are often difficult to find.

Similar to double-sided tape is my Xyron machine. I have one that is 8.5" wide and another that is 2" wide. I've been known to punch out paper printouts and run them through the Xyron to add a sticky layer of glue to the back for instant stickers or peel and stick labels. The smaller tool is perfect for tiny cutouts from my daughter's Cuttlekids die cutter. The Xyron can also laminate and apply either permanent or re positionable adhesive or even special magnet paper.

I've recently discovered glue dots. Oh my! I LOVE glue dots. They are a bit more expensive but they stick and stick and stick. They work especially well for bulkier elements like buttons and flowers and such. I even find myself cutting them down to work on smaller elements. These are super sticky wonders.

I use Perfect Paper Glue for bookmaking projects and to hold my little envelopes and 3d snowflakes together. It works well for those applications but is a bit too wet for cardmaking and when you spread it thinly, it dries almost too quickly.

Aleene's Tacky Glue works well for projects like button wreaths and even on cards in a pinch. It's not too wet and sticks well, and dries clear.

Mod Podge is great for my decoupaged clothespins. I use it to glue the paper to the wood and then to seal the top of the paper with a nice glossy finish.

Diamond Glaze from Judikins works wonderfully for the pendants I make with either Scrabble or glass tiles. I use it to adhere the paper to the tile and in the case of the Scrabble tile, Diamond Glaze is applied to the top to seal the paper in.

E6000 glue is perfect for gluing the bails to the backs of the Scrabble and glass pendants mentioned above. It gives off pretty strong fumes though so I recommend good ventilation.

Finally my other favourite type of adhesive comes in the form of double stick dimensional foam, sometimes referred to as dimensional adhesives or Pop Dots. They come in varying thicknesses and are great for layering paper and embellishments on a card or scrapbook layout for added textural interest and depth.

I hope that gives you a good glimpse at all the different kinds of *gloo* I use. I can't believe I have 15 different adhesives!