Chris from Canada writes:
If you are thrifty (aka cheap) and refill your own ink jet cartridges, you will find there is either a complete medical syringe or else a blunt needle to screw onto each little bottle of ink. These squeeze bottles can be washed out and reused as can the syringe. They don't have the nice bent tip found on the ones craft stores sell ($4-$5 each) but the price is right and the straight needle makes them a lot more versatile. If you wash the syringe and/or needle out after each use (use a fine wire to make sure the needle is clean inside), you will find it is the perfect diameter for applying teensy amounts of glue or other liquids or semi-liquids to a project. Just wipe the tip clean and stick a straight pin into the end of the needle when you are finished to make sure it doesn't clog up.
These can be used as well with light artist's acrylic gel medium, ModPodge, old glue or acrylic paint that has thickened over time, to create relief designs or carvings on any surface. Grey and black paint mixed into any of the others and extruded onto clear acrylic or glass becomes leading for windows. Just tape the piece of material you are using over a diagram or picture of the design you want and trace over it with the leading. Create a freehand stained glass design on a small mirror and apply glass stain paint. Make a relief design on a 'plaster' wall or ceiling, add fancy mouldings to a plain chair or other 'boring' furniture, add 3-D lettering to a birthday cake, make raised designs on a jewel cask etc..... etc..... Use one to fill small items like glasses or teacups with liquid resin: faster than drop-by-drop and no air bubbles!
