Let's talk adhesive

Many years ago, when I was student teaching in Minneapolis, I drove every morning from Northfield, surviving by listening to the morning show on 93 F.M. The Edge. Each morning they had a listener quiz, and oddly, I can remember one question in particular: which product are women the most brand loyal to? The answer was feminine products. I'm not going to write about that (thank goodness), but I think that for scrapbookers at least, they are equally brand loyal to adhesive. Myself included.

Here's the adhesives I use above all others:

1. Scotch Adhesive Dot Roller. I get this mostly at Target. This is my go-to adhesive that I use to adhere paper, especially paper strips. This stuff holds fast.

2. Tombow Mono Adhesive. This shows up under a new name now--The Crafter's Collection?--but this was the first adhesive I used, before Scotch Dot Roller. I still use this one, though, if I think I might be moving stuff around. Though it says "permanent" right on it, I find it has a little more give than the Scotch.

NOTE: If you do want to remove something from a page and salvage it and the paper beneath, flip the page and gently peel the page off the element you want to remove. I find that way, you are more likely to rescue both.

3. Thermoweb Super Tape. Remember Dora the Explorer, who always needed sticky tape? This is her sticky tape, I am sure. I use this to adhere ribbon or pockets, anything that ABSOLUTELY must not come undone and might very well do so. If you make gift boxes, this is your tape. I have three sizes for different products.

4. Zig 2-way glue pen. I don't use it for temporary adhesive, but the thin tip makes this perfect for adhering something...well, thin, like skinny die cut letters.

5. Tombow Mono Multi Purpose Glue. This has two tips, but again, I only use the skinny tip, mostly to adhere chipboard onto pages. Yes, Thickers, even you. (Self-adhesive chipboard, my foot.)

6. Scotch One-sided Scrapbooking Tape. I mention this tape in my video on stitching this week. I use this tape to adhere stitching (machine and hand) to the back of my pages. I have heard, BTW, that regular Scotch tape is now acid free, but I don't really want to test it. Remember the self-adhesive albums in the 70s? I remember them, and how they ruined all my mother's photos. I just stick with my Scrapbooking Tape, pun intended.

7. Creative Imaginations Scrapper's Spray. I don't even know if this is made anymore. It works as a thin, see-through adhesive that works with vellum; it also works with overlays. You really can't see it. You do, however, have to tip it upside down and spray when you are done to clear the nozzle so it doesn't gunk up and get ruined.

8. Glue Dots. These are my go-to adhesives for attaching buttons to the page. I use the 1/4 inch dots.

9. Tim Holtz Tiny Attacher. Not sure this should show up under an adhesive post, but I use this to secure the ends of so many things--strips of paper, die cuts, ribbons--that I felt I needed to add it. It's not an adhesive, but it adds a little security to what I am adhering.

So those are my favorite adhesives. What about you--are any of my favorites yours? What else do you love that I didn't show?