Hello Helmar Fans
It’s Sharon joining you today.
I have a passion for making handmade vintage styled journals and I have been a huge fan of Helmar for some time now.
One of my very favourite, ‘Go To’ Helmar products, is their Fabric Glue and it’s a staple in my resource supplies… always!!! I’d seriously be lost without it!!!
I’m really looking forward to sharing more of what I do with you all here. But, before I dive into the creating, I feel it’s important to share three very 'important tools’ I use when using my Helmar Fabric Glue. Please Note: These items are not my original idea, but they are used in my everyday practises and will likely appear often in my posts… so it feels like the right place to start.
The first is my American Crafts Sweet Sugarbelle Bottle which I purchased from Amazon. An item, I believe, is generally used for icing.
I transfer my Helmar Fabric Glue to this bottle and use it for applying my Helmar Fabric Glue to my projects. It has a soft, easy to squeeze bottle, which is gentle on my hands, and a fine metal tip which makes it ideal for applying to fine, detailed projects, as well as larger projects.
Speaking from experience… the nib and bottle are relatively easy to clean and, trust me when I say… do not get glue on the bottle top and screw it on without cleaning thoroughly!!! The gripping power of the Helmar Fabric Glue is no joke and means serious business!!!
I did this once. I’ll never do it again!!! Thankfully, it was hubby to the rescue!!! Although I do think I did most of the groundwork lol.
TIP: Filling your Sweet Sugarbelle Bottle is best done at the beginning of a new day when the unused Helmar Fabric Glue has settled to the bottom of the bottle. I always take this opportunity to clean the metal nib of the bottle to remove any dry or semi dry glue which increases flow capabilities. These are some of the tools I use to help clean my bottle. Tooth picks and paper towel are a must... but the most useful tool for cleaning out the bottle that I have found are long bamboo skewers purchased from my local supermarket. I also often find myself reaching for my metal awl which has been helpful when cleaning the nib and it cleans and washes easily.
You may have noticed the green topper on my Sugarbelle Bottle. This is a Clover Rubber Point Protector (Small) for knitting needles that I purchased from Spotlight Australia. It stops the air from getting into the bottle and drying up the glue. Please Note: I use my glue often, almost daily, so I can't tell you if the glue would be okay to leave for prolonged periods of time on a regular basis. I did have an instance where my glue dried up. I wasn't using it regularly as I was reorganising my studio and I can't tell you if the lid was secured properly but, I'm more than happy to say, that I was able to remove the glue with the assistance of the above tools, leaving the bottle clean and I was able to wash it out, fill it and continue using. Although, it was touch and go there for a while lol.
My journals are a combination of paper, fabric, lace, yarn and any other mediums I find to include. I am always seeking new and interesting items to include that will add interest, texture, colour and detail and the Helmar Fabric Glue has been invaluable in bringing my journals together. Here I am using it to attach a fabric Belly Band to a journal page. Once I have glued items in place, I often add sewn details to my work. This is a design choice, but definitely not a necessity as the Helmar Fabric Glue is more than enough to ensure that any paper, fabric, lace or yarn becomes a permanent component of my journals and is well adhered.
The second useful tool I use when using my Helmar Fabric Glue to create journals is a Silicone Face Mask Brush/Applicator. I purchased mine from Amazon Australia and it came in a pack of 5.
HELPFUL TIP: When purchasing your applicator, be aware of the head on the brush/applicator. Rounded tips or flat applicators are fabulous, but I did have one that curved in the middle of the applicator/brush (likely to contour the face). Although I could still use it for my glue, it isn't as successful as a flat or rounded applicator.
One of my favourite finishing touches on my journals is to attach lace, fabric ruffles, fabric tabs, etc to the page edges. I usually choose my laces, etc in the first stages of my process and I attach them with paperclips as you can see in the photo below. The pages I’m working on for this post are from a digital kit called ‘Home For The Holidays’ from @JunkWithSteph on Etsy (I am a member of her Design Team and love her digital kits)!!!
I often don’t attach them until the final stages of my journal making process which ensures I’m happy with their placement once the journal has been filled with all sorts of fabulous ephemera!!! This ensures the laces are seen peeking out from the edge of the cover instead of tucked away inside the cover, only visible once the cover has been opened. The pages have a tendency to bow as the journal fills up, which is why I hold off on locking them in. Attaching them towards the end is kind of like putting the icing on the cake for me and, as a result, always makes me happy!!!
My process for attaching the laces, etc, is to start with the journal page on the outside of my signature first, and work my way into the centre. I don’t put lace on every page… but that’s possibly a process for another post. Really… it’s whatever makes you happy!!!
I pop my whole signature into the cover and gauge the first piece of lace against the cover to decide placement. That then becomes the guide for my future laces.
Once the placement for the first piece is decided, I remove the top paperclip, holding the lace in place about half way down. I use that as a guide for where to place my glue and start applying.
Once the glue has been applied, I use my Silicone Face Mask Brush/Applicator to spread the glue gently… working from the inside of the page and dragging gently toward the outside of the page using gentle pressure. It is important not to press too hard as you don't want to remove the glue. You are really just thinning the glue slightly and ensuring the paper is completely covered. I find this process incredibly helpful when adhering very thin, fine laces or fabrics as there seems to be less seepage when the fabric glue has been spread this way.
Then, folding the lace, fabric, etc, back in place paying attention to ensure placement is correct along the entire edge (as they can have a tendency to bow or warp their shape).
The third and final tool I use when using my Helmar Fabric Glue is paper towel.
Yes… you heard right!!! Kitchen paper towel!!!
Once your lace is in place (I use this process mostly for lace… but it is also useful for some fabrics also)…
Cover the area with a clean paper towel and press gently into place… rubbing a few times with even, gentle pressure. This not only locks in the contact between the lace and paper… but also picks up some of the excess glue from the holes in the lace.
Then gently hold the paper towel from the edge furthest away from you and pull back on itself towards you to remove.
When you have applied glue to one end of the lace, turn your page around and attach the lower half of the lace using the same process.
Repeat this process for each page.
Once the lace is attached, I like to check to see if the edges of my lace are adhered well, adding additional glue where needed and pressing gently into place with my Silicone Face Mask Brush/Applicator… being careful not to press too hard.
HELPFUL TIP: If you forget to clean your Silicone Face Mask Brush/Applicator… Don’t worry!!!
The Helmar Fabric Glue will peel straight off easily once it has dried and your brush/applicator is left clean and ready to use without any messy clean up!!!
No cleaning is definitely a huge bonus in the creative world of an artist!!!
HELPFUL TIP: It is important to replace the lid of the glue bottle when it isn’t being used to prevent your Helmar Fabric Glue from thickening. I always use my paper towel to wipe any excess from the bottle applicator before replacing/closing the lid. In case you’re wondering why…
Well, I already mentioned the incredible gripping power of the Helmar Fabric Glue!!! Hehehe… I take no risks… and it’s a simple habit to get into when you already have the paper towel at the ready!!!
When I have completed the first page, I replace it on the outside of my signature and, working toward the centre of the signature, I use that as a reference for my lace placement on the additional pages in the signature. I find this is best done before the signatures are sewn into your journal but I know some artists who do theirs after. Whatever works for you.
You can see, in the two photos above, how the laces are roughly level on the outside edges. This is where I try to make them as even as possible to give a lovely finished effect to the outside of the journal.
Part of the reason I adhere my lace, etc, before sewing into the journal, is because I like to stitch over the top of the laces, etc on the page edges for added detail and texture. This is purely a personal preference and is absolutely not needed to ensure adhesion. The Helmar’s Fabric Glue does an excellent job and I’d be lost without it in my creating!!!
This is my first ever blog post, not only as a Design Team Member for Helmar… but anywhere!!! I’m so humbled to be given this opportunity to share a little of what I do with you all using the fabulous products from Helmar!!! They have been a ‘Go To’ for me in my creating for some time now!!!
Happy crafting!!!
I look forward to sharing with you all again soon!!!
Sharon
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