So I've been trying out some different liquid glues lately and thought I'd share what I've found. I've always been a fan of Tombow Mono Multi liquid glue. I love the dual applicator and the ability to use it both as a removable or permanent adhesive. I love that you use so little and it sticks like the dickens! I love that you have a little "wiggle" time to move things once you adhere two surfaces together. But since my local scrapbook store closed, I've had a hard time finding it. None of the other stores in my area carry it. I did stock up on some the last time I was in Calgary - but paid way too much for it. Thus my search for another glue. The first one I tried was Zip Dry Scrapbook glue. I had heard great things about it online and it was available at Michaels. I can't remember the price but I know I used a coupon for it. If memory serves me - I think it was $10 and cost me $6 after the 40% coupon. The first thing that struck me when I opened it was the smell. This definitely has a strong smell and requires good ventilation. It also had a big flammable warning on it. The glue performed well other than being a little stringy (when you're tapering off the glue and you get a little fly-away string of glue in the air). The part I really dislike about the Zip Dry though is the way the tip gets clogged after each use. I tried to store a pin in the hole, I tried storing it upside down - nothing worked for me. The things I liked about it was that it didn't soak through ribbon when I used it to adhere it, it worked well on metal, and you didn't need very much. It had the same "wiggle" time as Mono Multi as well.
After my trials with the stuck nozzle on the Zip Dry, I tried Scotch Quick Dry Adhesive. I must admit that Julia Stainton's review of this product pushed me to buy it (I love Julia's blog - her work is amazing!). I also bought this product at Michaels and I know that it was $10 and I used a coupon which made it $6. I have mixed feelings about this glue. I liked that it was very economical, the applicator is a nice fine tip and didn't clog between uses. I didn't like that it warped my cards and it oozed through my sewing machine stitching. Perhaps it was user error in that I used too much and shouldn't have glued over the stitching - but I was able to do the exact same thing with the Mono Multi without the oozing and warping.
So my pick is still the good old Tombow Mono Multi. Good news for me - I picked up 4 bottles of Mono Multi at Archiver's last weekend in Kansas City!! That should last me a good long time. I paid $2.99 per bottle. I haven't done the math to see which is the cheapest option - I'm pretty sure the Mono must work out to be the most expensive - but it takes me quite a while to go through a bottle. And I'd rather pay a little extra to prevent the swear words from falling out of my mouth. Liquid glues are so much cheaper than tape runners and stick so much better. If you haven't tried one yet - I would highly recommend it!
