Helmar USA Design Guest Designer Submission...

I love my glue. And in 5 plus years of scrapbooking, I think I have tried nearly every brand on the market. But I blame my addiction to Helmar glue on my good friend Jodi Dolbel. A number of years ago, I sat beside Jodi at a scrapbooking retreat, and she was playing with a huge tube of something. I asked her what it was and she said "Helmar 450 glue". It was the biggest tube of glue I had ever seen, and I was fascinated. I asked her if I could try some (I'd been having problems getting my Prima flowers to stay stuck to my pages, and Jodi promised that this stuff would stick anything down!!!). Needless to say, the rest is history! My Prima flowers stayed stuck, and I was hooked. As soon as I got back to Brisbane I went hunting for my own tube of Helmar glue. And to my total surprise, I found a whole range of stuff. I was in heaven!!! As you can see from my photo above, I use my glues ALL THE TIME!!! I would be lost without them, and I depend on them a lot. The four products you see in the picture are my main glue supplies - Scrap Dots, Acid Free glue, 450 Quick Dry, and 450 Clear Adhesive. Each serves a different purpose.

I use the Acid Free glue on my papers when I can't use adhesive tape. In this layout, I had used gesso, paint, glimmermist and opal dust in the background, and I wasn't sure if the paper would remain stuck down with tape. So I used the Acid Free glue instead. I knew it would definitely stick, and it wouldn't bubble or ripple. And you see all those raised cut out flowers? I used Scrap Dots on all the fine, small shaped areas where I couldn't get foam tape to fit. This way, the cut out flowers don't sag, fold, or bend. And because it dries clear, you can't see it. Got to love that!!!
Layout Title: Happy Princess. Products used: Pink Paislee, American Crafts, and Fancy Pants papers; kraft cardstock; Helmar Acid Free glue; Helmar Scrap Dots; My Mind's Eye rhinestones; American Crafts Thickers; masking tape; gesso; Glimmermist; and Opal Dust.

On this layout, I used the Helamr 450 Clear Adhesive to glue on all the Prima flowers. There's nothing I hate more than looking through my albums and seeing elements that have fallen off. With this glue, I have NEVER had a flower fall off. And I know if I send a layout away for publication, it will come back to me with all the elements still attached. And the die cut borders, and cut out flowers, I just stuck them down with the 450 Quick Dry Adhesive. Because it dries quickly, and clear, I don't have to wait forever to keep working on my layout.

Layout Title: Be Mine. Products used: Prima papers; Amercan Crafts cardstock; Helmar 450 Clear Adhesive; Helmar 450 Quick Dry Adhesive; Maya Road mini kraft tags; Spellbinders dies; Prima rhinestone flourish; Heidi Swapp rhinestone strips; Shimmerz Blingz.

I love the accordian flowers that are all the rage at the moment. But getting them to stay together can be a struggle. That's where the 450 Quick Dry adhesive comes in handy. I secure my accordian flowers by glueing small 1" punched out circles to the front and back of flower, with the 450 Quick Dry adhesive. It dries so quickly that I don't have to wait forever to keep working on my layout. To secure the accordian flower to my page, I simply add more glue to the back of the bottom-side circle, and place it on my layout where desired.

Layout Title: Love. Products used: My Mind's Eye papers; Kraft cardstock; Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive; Maya Road chipboard banners; Prima sequin flower centres; Hambly transparency; Zva Creative rhinestone strips; Autumn Leaves stamp; masking tape; vellum; Maya Road decorative pin; journalling pen.

I love the new bloomers ribbons that are on the market at the moment. And I love transparencies. However, sticking down both items can be a nightmare at times. Fortunately, my Helmar glue has saved me many times. For the ribbon bloomers, I simply squirt some 450 Quick Dry adhesive onto the back, and then press it down gently on my page, where desired. It dries quickly, and the bloomers don't move. You see that black owl transparency on my layout? I cut that out from a Hambly transparency but couldn't adhere it with foam dots because of the shape - they would have been visible. So I simply added Helmar Scrap Dots, wiped away any excess, and added it to my layout. The Scrap Dots dries clear so you can't see it under the transparancy - no white spots. Layout Title: Serene. Products used: American Crafts cardstock; Hambly tranparencies; Helmar Scrap Dots; Helmar 450 Quick Dry adhesive; Webster's ribbon bloomers; Prima flowers; Kaisercraft rhinestones; Making Memories felt brads; Hambly rub-ons; Heidi Swapp felt butterflies; Chatterbox metal flower brad.

Well, I hope that explains how I use my Helmar products. I know there are a lot more methods and techniques for using the Helmar products, that I have yet to discover - just give me time, I'll work them out eventually. (-: In the mean time, I plan to keep playing and having fun!!!