Our 
Let's talk about Adhesives!
By Tammy Skinner of Ladybug and Co.
3/24/08
If you haven't met... then let me introduce you to the Scotch 3M Adhesive Tape Gun (ATG) 714 a.k.a. 'Big Bertha'. Now don't
be confused and think that this is a new product...nooooo... this gal has 'been around' a long time! Oh, yes... she has
been keeping company with picture framers for many years (and I hear many librarians too). She is getting more and more
popular with the scrapbooking industry because of our constant need of MORE ADHESIVE! And it is shocking the amount of money
we addicted scrapbookers spend on adhesive. Wouldn't you want to save some of that money for fun stuff?
Now, whether you are a 'Corners-Only-Gotta-Make-That-Dotto-Last' kinda gal like I am or you are a 'Corner-To-Corner-Even-Undo-Won't-Undo'
kinda gal like my friend, Marianne... you will LOVE this gun. Let's compare... shall we? Below I review some (not
all) of the most popular adhesives that we use. Cost per foot is our main focus.
~~~~
3L EZ Runner: 22 cents per foot
I find that the 3L EZ Runner is one of the most commonly used adhesives around. It sells for $5.99 at our local supply stores
and I carry it for $4.99 in the Ladybug Store at our Crop All Day retreats. It is permanent adhesive and disposable (What
a waste! Talk about Un-Green!), which a lot of people like because there is no secret society to join in order to refill it. It
has ONLY 28 FEET of adhesive! So you are paying approximately 22 cents per foot.
~~~~
Glue Glider: 17 cents per foot
New on the market is the Glue Glider by GlueArts.com, and this guy (believe it or not) is actually bigger (and heavier) than our
beloved Big Bertha. Check it out on the website... better yet, go handle it at one of my favorite scrapbook stores, Gotta
Scrap, in Rockwall, Texas. They
carry both the gun and the refills. The gun is gonna cost you $50.89 and the refills are $20.89 each. But there is
114 feet of adhesive in the refills, so that makes your per foot cost only 17 cents. One feature that the Glue Glider has
over the 'Big Bertha' is that there is no threading the refill. The refill cartridge snaps right in and the handle
comes off for those who prefer to use the handle on top. Big downside in my book, is that the adhesive is a huge 1" wide! I
am told that Glue Arts have released a 1/2" wide refill, but I have yet to see it and there is no mention of it on their
website. Personally, I know a lot of people love this gun, but the cost of adhesive per foot really doesn't justify the
initial expense of the gun (sorry gals!). But with 114 feet of adhesive, at least you don't have to worry about running
out for awhile!
~~~~
3L EZ Dots: 13 cents per foot
This used to be my poison of choice, mostly because it is repositionable. It also happens to hold much more adhesive for
the same price as the 3L EZ Runner. But, unfortunately, it too is disposable and not very green (regardless of the color)
unless you are recycling it instead of tossing it. 3L EZ Dots holds 49' of adhesive, which costs approximately 13 cents
per foot.
~~~~
Herma Dotto Dispenser: 12 cents per foot
If you have been scrapbooking for as long as I have, then you probably started out using this cute little guy. Cute, that
is until you have to put a new refill in!! I have cropping buddies that used to pay me money just to load their dispensers for
them! It is still a service I provide to croppers at retreats. Original cost for the dispenser is anywhere between $9.99
and $11.99. They offer both permanent and repositionable refills and each one has 49 feet of adhesive that generally costs
$5.99, which makes this adhesive cost 12 cents per foot.
~~~~
Scotch ATG 714: ONLY 7 cents per foot!
Okay... need I say more!!? Only 7 cents per foot! The refills on what we affectionately call 'Big Bertha' have 36
yards of adhesive, that’s 108 feet. And it is only 1/4" wide. Now that's what I'm talking about! And since
I haven't found many places that actually sell the gun and the refills, I decided to offer them in the Ladybug store for $52.65
for the gun and ONLY $6.99 for the permanent refills. So for those of you attending the Crop
All Day retreats, you
can purchase yours at the events. If you aren't able to come to the retreats (awww... that's so sad), just send me an email
at ladybugandco@yahoo.com and we'll see what we can do!