A clean work surface will give you the best results. I work on sheets of scrap paper and throw them away as they get any traces of glue on them.
When gluing two surfaces together, apply glue to one surface and then touch that surface to a clean sheet of paper to absorb any excess glue. Working on top of a second clean sheet of paper, take that piece with glue on it and place it carefully on the piece you are attaching. This should help you avoid globs of glue coming out between your glued layers.
Tweezers are helpful for handling and attaching any small pieces.
To ensure all pieces have cut completely, I often run the cut cycle twice before unloading the cutting mat.
Reserve a clean cutting mat for cutting the acetate and use it only for clear plastics
