Tutorial - How to Re-stick a Cutting Mat

I've had a collection of dying, dead, and really dead cutting mats in my drawers ever since I bought my first electric cutting machine, a Silhouette SD.  They have been waiting there all these years for a resurrection because I loathe trashing plastic and knew I'd find a method of re-applying an adhesive that I'd like some day, and that day is here.

I have tried using 2-way Zig glue, but found residue on my paper, even after it had dried for days. I tried using large sheets of double-sided adhesive (courtesy of a local signage store who was throwing it out), but I would inevitably cut through that layer and would end up having to peel it off my own cut pieces. A friend showed me a video of someone diluting Aleene's Tack It Over and Over Again with water and brushing it onto her mat.

I decided it give it a try, but without dilution nor a brush. I wanted to smear the glue, just like I always do when I'm quilling. I was so pleased to see it work so well! I was able to re-use my mats and no adhesive came away with my paper. The adhesive is smooth and grips card stock almost too well.

On my first attempt, I didn't realize the thickness of the masking tape would end up yielding a much thicker area than the middle. It ended up gripping my card stock so strongly that I left pulp behind. With the photo above, you can see the reflection of where the build up of adhesive is, near the tape. In my video, I have deliberately scraped harder so it has much less strength. It still grips card stock very well, but now it doesn't separate the fibers – love it!

After filming, I had some dried glue on my fingers. I happened to have some rubbing alcohol on hand, and found it to be as effective as the Goo Gone I've seen others use.

If you give it a try, I'd love to hear about it. Please do leave a comment and let others learn from your experience too!

Quilling a Bird - Review and Example by J

I love hearing feedback! I love knowing how my designs worked out for other people – good or bad. Although I test and ask for feedback, it's after someone has achieved my hopes that I feel fulfilled. So I'm very grateful to have received this review below from J. 

She chose to use a translucent vellum for her window, which gives the viewer a playful tease. I like how the metallic silver is used throughout the card and box, tying in the colors with the teal and red. I'm simply purring to read that an experienced quiller agreed with me about how much easier the card stock is to work with. Who knows what'll be next?

The video for quilling a bird greeting card with a box is a great way to begin learning how to quill. Seeing each step is easier to follow than written instructions and the thicker card stock is much easier to handle than the usual narrow paper strips. The gluing tips and methods to keep the paper even helped me with my problem of messy glue spots showing and uneven edges. I like the friendly casual tone of the video “Hey, you got a good hold there.” and the pattern is fun and cheery to see after it is completed. The box was a little tricky. The tabs from the top needed a little help to insert into the bottom openings. I have done some quilling before but I still learned useful tips from this video. Seeing the steps would make it easy to make even for a beginner, I think.   ~ J