Hot glues come in a huge variety of colors, including metallics. The basic necessities are a hot glue gun, clear glue sticks, colored glue sticks an any type of embellishment or stamp you prefer to use. A heat resistant surface is also necessary, as well as some type of release agent. I tend to use a large ceramic tile, tap the top if it with a clear embossing pad, then squeeze a puddle of melted glue onto the tile. Embellish as desired, let cool, then peel it off the ceramic tile. If you are stamping INTO the hot glue with a stamp, make sure you coat the entire rubber are of the stamp with clear embossing ink, which is your release agent for the stamp. This way you do not end up ruining a stamp. Here are some ideas and tips.

Hot Glue Seals:
--You can use any size or design of stamp. Naturally, some sizes and designs work better than others. You really just have to make sure your puddle of glue is large enough to accomodate the stamp, and then make VERY sure you ink up the ENTIRE stamp very well with some sort of clear embossing ink or colored pigment inks. The ink works as a "release agent" for the stamp. If you have any spot of the rubber stamp uninked, it will stick to the hot glue and create a HUGE mess. Easiest way to ruin a good stamp.

--Can glue seals be embellished? (add beads or fingernail polish or Powdered Pearls, etc.?) Sure you can embellish them. I've put all kinds of things in the glue. First off, in the most basic sense, it IS glue... stick stuff in it!! I like to call things like this "hot glue collage". I've put pressed flowers into it, sand, small seashells, glitter, EP, ribbons, beads, postage stamps, all kinds of things!!!!! I would think you could easily add in fingernail polish, or brush it over the top of a cooled off hot glue piece. YES, you can brush Pearl Ex or Powdered Pearls over the top of a piece too. Just be sure you spray it with a fixative when you are fininshed. I actually took crayon shavings and dropped them into warm clear glue for a really COOL effect.

--How permanent are glue seals? For instance, Wax is fragile and breaks easily; Shrink Plastic is very durable. What about the Hot Glue? Hot glue, compared to sealing wax, is VERY durable. You can mail it and not have it break, which is VERY useful if you are using hot glue for a traditional faux wax seal. Hot glue is flexible, as opposed to stiff and brittle, which is great. I make my hot glue pieces on a piece of ceramic tile (apply clear embossing ink on the tile first, as a release agent), let it cool and peel it off the tile. Then when I want to use it on a card or something, I use YES! glue to adhere it to that piece. Sometimes I like to seal the outside of an envelope with a blob of hot glue and press one of my brass seals into it. I've had limited success though with this, sometimes the seal is intact when it's received, sometimes not.

Does one use the glue sticks with a glue gun or a heat gun (like for embossing)? Either way. If I'm making a LOT of seals or collage pieces at one time. I use my glue gun to put down the puddle of glue on my ceramic tiles first. Then I use my heat gun to re-warm the glue and then add in whatever embellishments or stamps or seals I want. If I'm just making one or two pieces, I snip off a small section of the glue stick and put it on the ceramic tile....then use my heat gun to melt it...make sure you hold the heat gun up a ways from the hot glue, you don't want to burn it.

If you make a mistake, can the disc be re-heated and re-smooshed? YES YES YES. Re-heat it with your heat gun...start over! I even save all my little scraps of hot glue from other things, like when I purge my glue gun between colors...I save all that. Because you can use your heat gun, and a ceramic tile, to re-heat those pieces into a seal or collage piece. One tip for using your heat gun, be patient and go slowly.

Here's some more ideas:

1. When the glue is still warm, drop in some crayon shavings. They melt beautifully and mix with the clear glue for a cool effect. I don't know many stampers who don't have some crayons hanging around. I just scraped my exacto knife down the side of a crayon and dropped the scrapings into the warm glue.

2. Sprinkle in glitter with the clear glue....most stampers have glitter, and most stamp stores sell it. Glitter is sprinkled on while the glue is still warm...it aheres it beautifully.

3. Buttons....stick buttons in the glue.

4. I also tried sprinkling in some embossing powders. That is pretty cool.

5. Dried flowers are wonderful stuck into the hot glue.

6. Used cancelled postage stamps, stick into the warm glue. Affix a pin back to the back of the piece - wallah - quick pin. Or leave off the pin back and just make it an embellishment.

7. Mix in Pearl Ex while hot with a tapestry needle that has been rubbed with embossing ink.....or brush pearl ex over the top of warm glue. If you brush it on top...you will need to spray it with a fixative.

8. Stamp an image on cardstock, embed it into a dollop of clear glue.

9. Sprinkle sand on top of clear glue, really NEAT beach effect!

I know clear glue can SEEM boring to work with, but there's a ton of things you CAN do to utilize it effectively. Punch holes in it...dangle it from a ribbon, or add a jump ring thru the hole. I'm going to make a few necklaces for my daughter doing this.

Why not shave a little chocolate off a Hershey bar and drop it in the hot glue? Might give a nice little chocolately smell to it, as well as some color!! ;-) And why not try scented candle shavings???