Books & Crafts with Ella Publishing Co
Featuring Angie Lucas & Wendy Smedley Are you a reader who loves to craft? Or a crafter who loves to read? Either or, one or both, you'll have a home at the Books & Crafts show with Angie Lucas and Wendy Smedley. Join us for weekly creative projects and book reviews that revolve around the written word. You'll love the crafts we make for, because of, inspired by, or literally out of actual books. And listen in as we share the books that inspire us to create and live, live and create. We'll discuss books and eBooks that are related to creativity, writing, scrapbooking, crafting, photography, design, style, diy, decor, and more. Even fiction may find its way into our show, if it inspires us to make something pretty.
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Season 1
Episode 1
Your Life in Lists
Join Angie and Wendy as they share ways to use "lists" to record your everyday life, childhood memories and holidays. Both a great conversation starter as well as the perfect solution for journaling on your scrapbook projects too.
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e-books
Angie and Wendy share the benefits and features of using e-books, include printing and binding ideas. Also they host the amazing Elisha Snow, family photographer as they discuss one the Picture Perfect e-book.
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Treasure Box
Wendy and Angie review the book, The Repurposed Library. Inspired by the book, they share how easy it is to make a treasure box out of an old book in today's episode.
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Book Frames
Wendy and Angie will teach you how to create a one-of-a-kind book frame out of old hardbound books.
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Book Club Circle Journal
Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com present a one-of-a-kind project to tackle with all of your reading friends! This circle journal features lots of unique ways to scrapbook about your love of reading—and to get great book recommendations from your favorite readers while you're at it. Find all of the featured books from this episode at ellapublishing.com/bookpicks.
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Conversation Keepsakes
Inspired by Beethoven's famous book of conversations, Wendy and Angie share a fabulous handmade gift for newlyweds plus two scrapbook pages created using an interactive couples' conversation quiz. For this quiz and others, download their Quick & Creative Quizzes eBook or the Quiz Printables booklet, which contains printable quizzes and sketches designed by Cathy Zielske. As always, weekly book picks can be found at ellapublishing.com/bookpicks.
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Book Decorating
Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com have decorated, altered, and dressed up a few of their favorite books, and you'll love the results. Check out their fun projects, useful tips, and ideas for decorating books to keep and books to give away as gifts. The featured books from this episode can be found at
Episode 8
DIY Bookmarks
Join Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com as they share four different ideas and one quick tutorial for handmade bookmarks: altered paper clips, magnet chipboard wraps, elastic wraps, and sewn paper book marks. Make sure to visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for quick links to their weekly book picks.
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No Sew Fabric Book Covers
In this episode, Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com walk you step-by-step through creating fabric book covers that make attractive decor pieces, protect your books, or add some mystery to what you're reading! All you need for this simple project is a swatch of fabric, some fusible interfacing, a tape measure, and a pair of fabric scissors. Easy! Visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for quick links to the "guilty pleasure" books featured this week.
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Picture Book Projects
Get design, journaling, or album inspiration from your favorite children's books. Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com are here to share three meaningful projects inspired by picture books. Find all of the featured books from this episode at ellapublishing.com/bookpicks.
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Episode 1
Book-Paper Garlands
Whether you call them garlands, banners, or pennants, Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com will inspire you to create your own hanging decor pieces using old book paper AND the craft supplies you have on hand. Includes step-by-step instructions for a heart banner perfect for Valentine’s Day, a bridal shower, or an engagement party. Make sure you also visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for links to all the book picks featured on the Books & Crafts show.
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DIY Library Totes
Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com welcome guest Kari Sweeten from U-createcrafts.com to share beautiful, customized library totes for each member of the family. Many of the totes are no sew! This episode includes step-by-step tutorials for painting on a canvas tote using a vinyl template and for creating library-card holder for each tote you decorate.
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Double-Page Design Tips
Join Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com as they share four timeless tips for creating sensational two-page scrapbook layouts. And enjoy a $2 discount just for you on the featured eBook, Double-Page Design: Creating two-page layouts that really shine, by visiting ellapublishing.com/dpd and entering the code DESIGN at checkout.
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Upcycled Book-spine Vase
Finally! A clever, crafty, decor project that will look right at home in a library, study, or masculine-themed office. In this episode, Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com show you how to make a unique decorative vase by disassembling old books and stitching the fabric spines together. Visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for quick links to the must-read book picks from this week, including Re-Bound: Creating Handmade Books from Recycled and Repurposed Materials by Jeannine Stein and A Perfectly Kept House is the Sign of a Misspent Life by Mary Randolph Carter.
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Pillowcase Monsters
Inspired by the book Craft Challenge: Dozens of Ways to Repurpose a Pillowcase, Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com create “Ugly Doll” style monsters out of old pillowcases. See how easy it is and get motivated to unleash your own inner monster. And please visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for links to all book picks mentioned on the show, including this week’s picks: The Doubtful Guest by Edward Gorey and Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney.
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Tabletop Flip Frame
Inspired by another MyCraftChannel show, Create to Remember by Heidi Swapp, Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com share a fun tabletop flip frame that features bits and pieces torn from old quote books and children’s books. All you need is the ring hardware pulled from a binder and an photo frame you don’t mind repurposing. Visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for links to all book picks mentioned on the show, including this week’s picks: The Story of My Life by Helen Keller and Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout.
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Episode 1
Cute DIY Canisters
Inspired by the Kristine McKay Signature Series book (published by Scrapbook Trends), Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com show you how to customize and decorate two beautiful sets of canisters for your home—with drawer pulls used as knobs on the tops. Brilliant! Make sure you also visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for links to all the book picks featured on the Books & Crafts show.
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Artsy Gesso Accents
Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com share a fun Gesso-stamping technique—and more—from the book Creative Foundations: 40 scrapbook and mixed-media techniques to build your artistic toolbox by Vicki Boutin. Get inspired by three cute cards featuring the technique. And as always, find links to our book picks on ellapublishing.com/bookpicks.
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T-Shirt Art for Teens
Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com invite special teen guest crafter Chloe (Wendy’s niece) to demonstrate fun, teen-friendly tips for decorating t-shirts, including bleach pen techniques, markers, and more! Make sure you also visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for links to this week’s book picks—and all our past picks, too.
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Fabric Notebook Cover
Featuring gorgeous fabric projects from Sweetwater’s Simple Home book, Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com share a simple notebook-cover tutorial, plus ideas for an apron, scalloped placemats, baby quilt, throw quilt, and more. This week’s book pick can be found at sweetwaterscrapbook.etsy.com. But visit ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for our regular weekly picks.
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Glass Plate Collage
Inspired by the book Crafting a Meaningful Home, Wendy and Angie from ellapublishing.com show you step by step how to create darling glass plate collages that would look beautiful individually or in a group. Includes several finished examples plus an in-depth tutorial. Our weekly book picks can be found at ellapublishing.com/bookpicks.
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Stamping Secrets
Angie and Wendy from ellapublishing.com demonstrate two great stamping techniques (emboss/resist and DIY stamped patterned paper) found in the Ella eBook, Stamping Secrets. This eBook features the work of seven awesome stampers, including Nichol Magouirk, Ashley Cannon Newell, and more. And enjoy a $2 discount just for you on the featured eBook, by visiting ellapublishing.com/stamping and entering the code STAMPING at checkout.
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Book Party
Angie Lucas from ellapublishing.com chats with special guest Kelly Jeppson about putting together your own book party—complete with festive bunting, accordion-fold medallions, decorative noisemakers, and mini-album favors for guests. You can find this week’s book picks at ellapublishing.com/bookpicks for links to Angie and Kelly’s very favorite books of all time, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte and The Professor’s House by Willa Cather.
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