Materials Series: Blu Tack

I found this article on http://www.handmadeology.com and while I have not tried using this product myself I am blogging about it so I won't forget to pick some up from the craft store next time I go.
It sounds VERY useful!

"I don’t know about you, but I find myself frequently marveling at how often I find myself using everyday, and often mundane, household items in my creative process.  I find myself rummaging through the laundry for clothes pegs and raiding the crockery cupboard for teacups to use as props or tracing templates.  But I think my most important everyday discovery has been Blu Tack.  For those of you who have never seen or used Blu Tack, it is a re-useable adhesive which looks and feels a little like plasticine.  And let me tell you, it has come in very handy for designing my more intricate cabochon pieces!

While I can easily mentally visualize how many of my designs will look before I put the required supplies together, I find that pieces which contain a lot of different parts or colours are far too difficult for me to “imagine”.  For those pieces, I like to lay out my beads, cabochons or other supplies in a rough semblance of the final product before I give myself the “go ahead” to create a piece.  And this is where my trusty Blu Tack comes in!"

Owl Collage Necklace by merlinthecat

"Pieces which are composed of lots of small cabochons, are pretty fiddly to put together and the slightest bump can lead to tears and hair pulling when you have disrupted your nascent design for the tenth time in as many minutes.  So I like to use Blu Tack to hold my cabs in place while I am planning my design layout, allowing me to easily change placement of any element without the risk of knocking off other elements.  Blu Tack is also handy for simpler pieces, which by their shape make it impossible to balance loose cabs while I decide which design works best.

I hope this funny little tip helps you in your creations.  Do you have everyday home items which you regularly use in your creating?"

http://www.handmadeology.com/tricks-of-the-trade-using-everyday-items-to-enhance-your-creating/