Haunted House by Michelle ‘Spink’ Boeckermann. Supplies: Glue: Helmar 450, Helmar Craft, Helmar Gemstone, Helmar Crackle, Other glues: Martha Stewart fine tip and wide tip glue pens, Paper: Reminisce, Daisy D’s, Die Cuts with a View, Transparencies: Making Memories, Halloween Buttons: Making Memories, Flocking Powder: Around the Block, Floss: Karen Foster, Felt: Queen and Co., Tools: Martha Stewart T Square Ruler, Basic Grey Sanding files, Ink: Clearsnap, Stampin Up!, Other: corrugated kraft paper, pumpkin mini ornaments, fabric ghost, black craft straw, various ribbons, wooden house.

Design note: I used the 450 for most of this project. It goes on clear, and dries quickly. The house originally is a painted very rough wood. The 450 worked beautifully for all the shutters, and embellishments, even the ribbon without saturating it. The one thing I really loved was its ability to web. I used it to make the webbed corners in the windows. The craft glue is thinner and white but dries clear. It worked perfectly for applying the papers to the wood, and dried quickly. The gemstone glue I used for the transparencies. It dries extremely clear without bubbles, which in my book is a seller right there! It’s virtually undetectable through the transparency. On the sides of the house, I used a black paper and applied the 2 step crackle very thinly. I let it dry overnight and used white ink with my finger to push it into the cracks. I finished it off by wiping off the excess with a towel-ette. The roof of this project is my favorite part. I hand cut strips and inked the edges to give it that off-kilter look. The flocking was the last bit that added that special touch to me that said old and dilapidated.

Bird House by Michelle McClung. Supplies: Papers: K & Company, The Paper Co., Glue: Helmar Professional Glue, Chipboard Stickers, Die-Cuts, Ribbon: K & Company, Other: Twine.

Design note: The Helmar glue held everything that I was trying to glue down! Another great thing is that it dries clear and so it doesn't show the excess glue (like around the buttons) and works well as a decoupage medium, too because it doesn't yellow - just use 50/50 mixture of glue and water and brush on with foam sponge. I covered the roof with a metallic paper. It was a bit tricky because the wooden roof had a texture to it. What I did was cut the pieces of paper, wet it under the faucet, apply my Helmar glue, and very carefully, worked it all into the grooves of the roof. The paper dried, kept it's shape and the glue is keeping it in place.