Glue questions

My last batch of mail brought two questions from swappers.

I'll give you my ideas, and then I open it up to all you readers.

QUESTION ONE:

Ellen expressed concern about mailing her collaged postcards without an evelope.  Will they get mangled in the mail?  Would laminating them ruin them?

My thoughts:

1.  Ellen, your cards look really well adhered, and I think they will make it through the mail just fine

2.  I personally love sending and getting lumpy textured things in the mail and am willing to take the risk that something will happen en route.  It's part of the thrill and the challenge for me.  However, I completely respect that not everyone is willing to take that chance with their hard work.

SO:

• if you want to mail things "naked" without an envelope, I find a few coats of matte medium, or gel medium or mod podge on top of your collage usually holds things in place quite nicely. (and it looks like that's what Ellen did to her cards, which is why I think they will arrive intact)
• you could cover the whole thing in clear packing tape to protect it, if you don't mind the shiny surface
• I don't think laminating would ruin a paper collage.  I don't know how certain art materials like wax crayons or creamy pastels would hold up to heat lamination.  maybe fine.
• a good compromise on the naked vs. envelope conundrum is to enclose it in a clear envelope and stick the stamp on the outside. that way the beautiful art shines through, but is protected from the postal machines and the elements. ( Anyone know where you can buy that kind of envelope?)  (I suppose you could craft your own from a page protector or something.) I've also received things in vellum envelopes which are nice, but since they are only slightly transparent, they don't show off the art quite as well.

QUESTION 2:

Lynn used stitching on her collage, and so she glued a piece of paper to the back so she could cover the stitches and more easily write the address and her message.  The paper buckled and left bumps.  She's tried a variety of glues and brayers and still gets bumps.  She's looking for suggestions.

My thoughts:

The wetter your adhesive, the worse the bumps will get.  Glue stick is very dry and doesn't buckle the paper much at all.  Some brands of glue stick are stronger than others.  I like the Uhu stick.  I rub the heck out of one of the pieces of paper, making sure I get all the way to the edges, then stick it down and rub (hand, back of a spoon, bone folder) and often leave it under a stack of books overnight.

I also like Yes paste.  It's incredibly thick and sticky and messy, but it's a strong adhesive made specifically not to warp paper. (it calls itself the "all purpose stick flat glue".)  It's pretty effective, though I always seem to manage to get it all over everything and it's harder to wipe off.  But then again, I'm a slob.

If you're using a thinner glue like mod podge or elmer's or even matte medium, you can try rubbing it with an old credit card/gift card.  Start in the middle and hold the credit card with the edge on the surface of your paper and drag firmly toward the edges, squeezing out any air bubbles and extra glue. (and then put it under a stack of books.  if it's kind of damp and gluey, you can sandwich the card between freezer paper or parchment paper to keep it from sticking to the book or the floor)

So now it's your turn swappers.

What are your favorite products, tips and tricks?

Leave your advice in the comments.