Product Review- Xyron Mega Runner

Almost all of my boxes and printables are designed with half inch tabs to glue specifically for people who prefer using double sided tape or runners to assemble instead of glue. The advantage to that method over glue is that there is no drying time, no need to clamp, no wrinkling because of wet glue and everything goes together a lot faster.

Xyron recently sent me some of their adhesive runners to try out. This is about the Xyron Mega Runner.

The Xyron Mega Runner uses cartridges with 100 feet of 1/2 inch wide adhesive. The cartridges fit into the big runner in one direction only so you can't mess up putting in the cartridge. The runner is comfortable to hold and pull and comes away clean when you pull it off the project you're working on. The adhesive is in a dot pattern on a plastic tape strip. It sticks to your project and comes off the tape easily. 

I used this runner to put together the Día de los Muertos Sugar Skull Boxes and was impressed by how easily it worked. It pulled easily and the tape didn't come loose or break. So I've been using it on a lot of projects since then and so has the Turnip Girl. After using at least 20 feet of the cartridge, the tape did jam a couple of times, popping open the Mega Runner and pulling out the cartridge to wind the used tape was easy.

Then I thought "Well, what's the best way to show the dot pattern?" because it's only going to be a little shiny if I pull it on paper and take a photo. I decided to see how it worked with glitter for contrast! It worked very well and makes a nice way to quickly embellish a card edge. (I'm planning to add a lot more skulls to this card later)

So now that you have an idea of the scale, here's a close up to see the dot pattern of the adhesive.

It's a nice bond. I do recommend with all runners to burnish down what you're working on for a truly permanent bond. If you tack it lightly with very little pressure, you can usually move it if necessary.

It has a very thin profile and the adhesive is clear and shiny so it will work with translucent papers, and it doesn't add bulk to anything you're gluing. If you're going to be making a lot of boxes or doing a lot of pages or other paper crafting, it's incredibly convenient.

You can get the Mega Runner, or the smaller tape runner (which I'll be reviewing later) directly from Xyron

You can get more information about my review policy here.

Bats Swirl Mandala

Really ornate, the effect that I was going for in this batty mandala was a filigree effect. Click on the image for the larger version.

Bat Box to color in

It's getting to be Halloween. Rachel at OnePrettyThing and I agree that Halloween is one of the best holidays of the year. It's my personal favorite. Christmas has the glitter, crafts and gifts, but Halloween has glitter, crafts, costumes,candy and bats. It's the one time of the year you can wear masks and capes and nobody wonders why. Check out OnePrettyThing for lots of great tutorial links rounded up by topic.
Check out my Halloween label below this post for more Halloween crafts and printables!

Click the image to get a larger version, print, color, cut, fold, paste! The bat on this is one I drew planning to get it laser cut at Ponoko for a hair pin. Haven't done it yet though, when I do, I'll post photos!

Peace Symbol Coloring Page

I hope you enjoy this peace symbol coloring page. There are a few more peace symbols if you click the label at the bottom of this post. Click on the image for a larger version to color.

My mother's birthday would have been Saturday. As it gets chilly and we start watching for snow, I think of her often. With We are the 99 Percent as well, I think of her often. She would have been there, with cookies, water and smiles to pass out and a lot of excitement and conviction. She was an activist who got a lot out of being active. She was a hippie who made yogurt and burned incense and smoked clove cigarettes. She wore shawls and peasant skirts with blazers and silk tops. The sweet scent of cloves and Nag Champa was so deep in her clothes that it was like a signature cologne. She was in Watts when it burned, down in the basement of a church patching up people to go back out on the streets. When President Kennedy made the call for people to do for their country, she signed up with Volunteers in Service to America and wound up in a tiny village in Alaska where she found her home.

So this peace symbol is for her, in her memory. Her absolute conviction that most people just want to live happy, free and in peace, her basic faith in humanity. 

She was a dreamer who wasn't afraid to get in the thick of things to try to make those dreams reality. She was a hippie and individualist and just a little bit crazy, and I'm so very grateful that she was my mother.