Randi's Review	Andrea's Review	Chris' Review	Penny's Review	Karen's Review

Review by Randi

When I laid eyes on the latest from Bluegrass Publishing, "Color Made Easy, Instant Color Palettes" I knew I was going to love it! In addition to the great color combinations there are over 100 "kick-starts" which are ideas to inspire should you have scrapper's block. Ready-to-use sayings, quotes, poems, etc. are in each of the 35 color palette sections. There is a handy basic how-to in combining these color palettes by choosing a dominant, secondary and accent color, along with 525 actual examples of these combinations. The "Index of Themes" has over 250 topics and which color palette(s) they suggest for each one of them. As if that weren't enough, there are over 100 full-color layout and card examples to further inspire.

I love these features of the book, but my favorite part is the Color Buddy that is included. It was a simple matter to cut the back pages from the book then punch out each color palette rectangle. It was well worth the time it took me to prepare it! I now have all of the color schemes in one handy swatch booklet, and I'm finding it so much easier to use than a colorwheel.

I knew I wanted to create a Mini Star Book (as seen in the review on the DVD Quick and Easy Mini Books) but I wasn't entirely happy with the colors that were specified on the DVD. I was uncertain how to go about choosing different colors for this large project. Bluegrass Publishing came to my rescue. As I glanced through the various color schemes presented in this book I quickly discovered that "Sunny & Sweet" was the scheme that fit the mood I had intended for this creation. I was able to finish this mini book (with several layouts) quite quickly once I had my cardstock selected.

Title: Sunny & Sweet Color Theme - orange, yellow, green


Title: Star Mini Book
Products used: Papaya Puree Dark, Intense Kiwi, Sunflowers Medium, Black Cardstock, Prism Papers
Sunny & Sweet Color Scheme, Bluegrass Publishing
Patterned Paper, GinX
Ribbon
Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

The next "test" for this book was a re-do of a layout that I completed a few years ago. I've never been happy with this layout, and I knew I wanted to try the Bluegrass "outta sight '70's" color palette. It really works! The updated version looks SO MUCH MORE like the 70's than my original layout did! I used my original journaling block on the re-do, and resized one of the photos. It is the COLOR SCHEME that really makes this a 70's layout though!

Title: "Outta Sight '70's" Color Theme


Title: Original and Re-Do Versions, 2nd Chapter of Acts Concert
Products used: Outta Sight '70's Color Theme, Bluegrass Publishing
Patterned Papers, PixelDecor by imagination project
Papaya Puree Dark, Candle Glow Dark, Herbal Garden Medium & Black Prismatics Cardstock, Prism Papers
AlphaStructures Chipboard Letters, Zsiage
Nutmeg Dottie Ann, Magic Mesh
Brushed Corduroy Distress Ink, Ranger
Mega Slide Mount, Loersch
Ric Rac, Tie One On Ribbon Club
Designer Dries Clear Adhesive, Art Glitter
Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

Creating the layouts using the selected color scheme was a snap, so why limit it to layouts? This invitation is based on two colors from the Youthful Scheme along with the neutral creme.

Title: Youthful Color Scheme - blue and yellow


Title: Class Folder, Party Invitation
Products used: Creme and Twilight Medium Cardstock, Prism Papers
Grade Nine Rub-On, Scrappin' Sports 'N More!
Freshman Patterned Paper, Scrappin' Sports 'N More!
Dottie Ann, Magic Mesh
Ribbon, Tie One On Ribbon Club
Corner Rounder Punch, Marvy Uchida
Permanent Bond Glue Runner, Adhesive Tech

I am not one to keep a lot of books in my "scrapping" library because they so quickly become outdated by the ever-changing trends. Color Made Easy has earned a spot in my permanent library. The information in this book is timeless, and I will refer to it over and over. RUN and get a copy for yourself today!

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Review by Andrea

Bluegrass Publishing has so many great quote books that I was a little surprised to see a book all about color. I thought it was a terrific topic because choosing colors for your scrapbook pages and other projects is intimidating and challenging for so many people, myself included. I was excited to get into this book and add it to my library!

The 8 1/2" x 11" paperback book has 157 pages with a tear out "Color Buddy" in the last 8 pages of the book. The covers are heavy laminated cardstock and share the details of the book's contents. Everything is in color with the inside having thick glossy pages. The text is clear and easy to read in every section.

The Table of Contents is simple and has a break-out section showing the "Color Palettes" with corresponding page numbers. What exactly is a "color palette" you may be thinking. Well, the Introduction explains how each color palette has 5 colors that match a theme (eclectic, nautical or groovy 60's for example). Those 5 colors are mixed and matched into color groupings of 3 (leaving out the other 2 colors) to show a dominant, secondary and accent color. Here is the "Comfy and Cozy" color combinations as shown in the book.

So, how do you use these color combinations? Misti Tracy, the author, recommends that the colors for your projects come from the photo's theme, not necessarily from the colors in the photo or your favorite colors. Using the "List of Themes", you can basically look for the theme of your photos and turn to the page(s) listed. Those pages are color palettes that Misti has selected to represent the theme. Pick one that fits the best and continue designing your project using the color combinations in the recommended proportions. There is always the choice to add a neutral tone of black, white, cream, gray or brown instead of one of the 5 color palette choices.

There are 35 color palettes in all plus neutral. The Color Buddy system contains them all, showcasing each 5 color set like sample paint strips. Each strip is on the same thick cardstock that the covers are made from and is meant to be torn out from the back of the book. I found that my craft knife was easier to use with a less chance of damaging the beautifully colored paper. I punched holes at the top of each strip and added eyelets so that the strips would survive heavy use. This system is great to have right next to your crop area within arm's reach.

The final pages of the book contain a short biography of the author, contributing artist credits, other acknowledgements and a listing of other books available from the publisher.

The color palette concept was new to me, so I thought to try it on a terrific family photo and altered canvas as a gift. I used the "Timeless & Classic" combination of wisteria (blue), decadence (brown) and dew drop (ivory) to convey my theme. I found the three colors confining at first, but the project came to a successful completion!

Title: Altered Family Canvas
Products used: Canvas (Fredrix)
Cardstock (Prism: Vanilla Cream & Metallics Copper)
Color Inspiration (Bluegrass Publishing: Color Made Easy Book, Timeless & Classic Color Combo) Paint (many)
Stamps (Stampendous and Stampin' Up!)
Ink (Colorbox MicaMagic Bronze)
Chipboard (BasicGrey)
Ribbon (Tie One On and Flair Designs)
Tiles (unknown)
Hot Glue (ColdHeat)
Sketch (www.123-scrap.com)

I continued along to another color combination for a friend's birthday celebration. When looking under the birthday theme, I didn't really care for the color combinations. when glancing through the rest of the themes, I noticed "princess" was one of them. Well, it was a special birthday and she was treated like a princess, so I went with the color palette of "Pretty and Pink". I chose the cotton candy, jet black and cupid's blush color combination which went very well with the photos and theme afterall!

Title: Presents for the Birthday Girl
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics: Iced Pink, Razzleberry Light, Marbled Black)
Patterned Paper (Die Cuts With A View)
Color Inspiration (Bluegrass Publishing: Color Made Easy Book, Pretty & Pink Color Combo)
Flower Die Cuts (Spellbinders Flower Dreams)
Die Cut & Embossing Machine (Spellbinders Wizard)
Chalk (Craf-T)
Stamps (L'il Davis and Making Memories)
Ink (Tsukineko Brilliance, Graphite Black)
Paint (Making Memories, Asphalt)
Rhinestones (Westrim)
ScrapBeads (Flair Designs)
Ribbon Charm (BasicGrey)
Embossing Powder on Charm (Powder Keg, Granite)
Sketch (www.123-Scrap.com)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised at how the color palette system worked for me. The pressure of picking "the right colors" seemed to lift when referring to the list of themes for my projects. The book is filled with wonderful quotes and "Creative Kick-Starts!" for inspiration. I would recommend this book for anyone who is just starting in crafting or is feeling "color challenged". The Color Made Easy book delivers the message loud and clear in a very simple manner. Even a seasoned scrapper would find this book a nice addition and valuable resource to their craft library.

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Review by Chris

I have to confess that choosing colors for my scrapbooking projects is not something I consider to be one of my strengths. When I venture outside the monochromatic color schemes, I struggle in deciding which colors “go” with each other. That’s one reason why I like to stay within paper lines by the same manufacturer or use kits – someone else has done all that work. When I learned that I would be reviewing a book called Color Made Easy, I was thrilled, thinking that it would help me improve in this area and I was anxious to see just how this book would differ from others I have read on the same topic.

Written by Misti Tracy, Color Made Easy is published by Bluegrass Publishing Company. The book itself is paperbound, 157 glossy pages, with punch-out paint-chip-type color cards called the “Color Buddy.” The fundamental concept behind Color Made Easy is to select colors based on themes and not worry about matching colors to the photographs. The very first thing I do is select color/s from my pictures and design my layout around them. If I don’t like the colors, I turn the photo to black and white or sepia. The idea of designing based on colors of a theme or mood is totally new to me.

The book is divided into 35 sections corresponding to 35 different color palettes with enticing names: hot & trendy (think neon brights here), majestic, calming & tranquil (soft blues and lavenders), light & airy (baby pastels), to name a few. There are also palettes for the decades from the 1920’s to the 1980’s, one for nostalgic (perfect for heritage photos) and one for the neutrals. Each color palette features 5 different colors. There is a comprehensive index which brings you from the subject of your photo (summer at the beach, for example) to its corresponding color palette (sultry – a palette ranging from banana to pomegranate). Each section displays the color palette and a sample layout. The next two pages in the section break down the color palette into fifteen sets of 3-color combinations, introducing some of the neutrals, and providing the proportion of each color (the familiar gallon, quart, pint theory). There is a list of the subjects for which that color palette is recommended and another project sample. Each section also includes something called “Creative Kick-Starts!” with suggestions about where to find color inspiration (in the sultry section, they suggest browsing back issues of National Geographic magazine); a journaling prompt; and page design inspiration (visit a southwestern style restaurant, for example). Each section also features three inspirational quotes that could be used on scrapbook pages or cards in that particular subject area. What a great resource!

At the back of the book are 35 paint-chip type cards that you punch out and put on a metal ring. They are perfect for carrying with you to your paper racks or the store, to help you select the right papers for the theme or mood of your photographs.

For my first layout, I selected a photo of my grandmother with my son and niece and searched the index for “family.” I found family, family fun, family get-together, family heritage, family portrait, and family reunion. Between these 6 categories, there were 6 possible color palettes listed. As I searched them all, I thought about the “feel” I wanted for this layout. My choices were Timeless & Classic, Whimsical, Comfy & Cozy, Rich & Creamy, Rustic & Earthy and finally Warm & Natural. As soon as I saw the colors for Warm & Natural I knew they were perfect. Of the 5 colors on my palette, I used 4 - cashmere (pale yellow), wisteria (purple/blue), green apple and pecan. These are not the colors I would have selected on my own and yet I am completely pleased with the results.

Title: Cherish
Products used: Color Made Easy (Bluegrass Publishing Co.)
Patterned paper (KI Memories; Deja Views)
Button (SEI)
Rub-on (Daisy D’s)
Fonts (Bookworm and Brandegoris)
Sketch (Page Maps)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner)

For my second layout, I chose pictures that were from an event - sledding in the snow. In checking the index for “Snow,” I found 3 categories: Snow Angel, Snow Day and Snowman, all leading me to the same color palette – Winter Traditions. These were close to the colors I may have selected for this layout on my own, with the exception of the burgundy. I used three of the colors for this layout: l'amour, angel frost and vanilla bean, with a touch of black as a neutral.

Title: Snow Play
Products used: Color Made Easy (Bluegrass Publishing Co.)
Patterned paper (Sweetwater)
Alphabet dies (Spellbinders, Playful)
Embossing and Die Cutting machine (Spellbinders, Wizard)
Chipboard letters (Heidi Swapp)
Stamps (Hampton Art Stamps; PSX)
Ink (Ranger, Distress Ink; Tsukineko, Versamark)
Snowflakes (Hirschberg Schutz)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Glue Runner)

Although I welcomed a new resource to help me with my struggles in color selection, I was skeptical about not involving the colors in the photos in that process. After completing two layouts using the event or theme as the basis for choosing colors and following the suggestions presented in Color Made Easy, I am thoroughly pleased with the results. It is a relief to be freed from the limits of the colors in the photos. The color palettes in Color Made Easy represent a vast array of refreshing combinations and the flexibility of using varying color values provides endless possibilities. I am positive I will turn to this tool frequently in my scrapbooking. I highly recommend this book to anyone as a fresh alternative for selecting colors for your layouts.

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Review by Penny

I love to play with color! Whether it's finding new ways to combine them or just making a bright, bold impact with a tried and true color combination, I never get tired of the results.

I didn't think it was possible for me to get more excitement from color until I opened up Color Made Easy by Misti Tracy (Bluegrass Publishing, $24.95 retail). The color families included in this softcover book are fun, fresh and all new.

The book could not be easier to use with its extensive index of over 250 project themes to suggested color families. A page about a piano recital, for example, directs you to the "Timeless and Classic" color family.

Each of the 35 uniquely-named color families are clearly shown and illustrated with 15 different color combinations, suggested layout topics and several layout examples. And if the thought of using these color combinations isn't enough, creative kick-starts for your color, journaling and design are also included.

I was inspired by the "Rough and Rowdy" color family on p. 89 to create this layout about my husband. The blues and greens are two of my absolute favorite color companions. They provide interest and contrast without overwhelming the photo.

Title: He's My Counterpoint
Products used: Cardstock (Prism)
Patterned Paper (My Mind's Eye Bohemia Collection)
Mask (Heidi Swapp)
Acrylic Paint, Rub-Ons (Making Memories)
Rub-Ons (Fancy Pants)
Brads (Stampin' Up!)
Chipboard (Maya Road)
Ribbon (Tie One On)
Marker (Zig Writer)
Adhesive - The Photo and Memory Glue Tube (Adhesive Tech)

For my second project I turned to the "Bold and Powerful" color family on p. 113. The design of this layout had been percolating in my thoughts for a few days and I knew that the red and blue contrast would be perfect for it.

Title: My Little Trendsetter
Products used: Cardstock (Prism)
Patterned Paper (Sandylion)
Stamps (Leave Memories)
Ink (Color Box fluid chalk)
Puffy Velvet Fabric Marker (Marvy Uchida)
Marker (Zig Writer, Uni-Ball Signo)
Distressor (Tonic)
Adhesive - The Photo and Memory Glue Tube (Adhesive Tech)

At the back of the book you will find a priceless treasure in the Color Buddy—a section where each color family plus neutrals is available for you to tear out and attach to your own metal ring. The tearing out and assembling does require some patience and time and could be improved upon, The effort is worth your time, however, as the Color Buddy is perfect for taking to crops, your local scrapbook store or just keeping handy on your scrap desk.

I've spent several days looking through the color families and I feel like I'm still discovering fresh ideas and creativity. Color Made Easy is a wonderful resource to add to your collection.

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Review by Karen

I love color! I love mixing colors to create the perfect project. Color Made Easy by Misti Tracy is perfect for explaining color palettes and becoming comfortable in mixing colors.

This paper back with a high gloss cover and 157 pages, has a pull out section to create your own color buddy. The first thing I did was punch out the color buddy and create a color ring. In the introduction, we are shown how to “read” the color squares in each section. Each color combination of five colors has been divided into subgroups of three with a dominate color, a secondary color and an accent color. Within each of the color combinations, there are 15 different three color subgroups shown.

In addition to the color combination subgroups, each section of the book, divided by color combination, has at least two project examples. Each example includes suggestions of themes and a creative kick start for color, journaling and design. Each section’s opening page shows the full color combination of five colors, the name of the combination, a list of descriptive words about the combination, a quote or phrase, and a layout using the combination.

I decided to work with two color combinations which really spoke to me. The first color combination is named “Rich and Creamy”—beautiful browns with a touch of pink. I love the words used to describe this combination: “smooth”, “cozy”, “warm”, “refined”, “delicious”, “tasty”, “scrumptious”, “wholesome”, “comfortable”, “classic”, and “rich”. The word “comfortable” really caught my eye, and I knew exactly what layout I wanted to create! I show it below. I adore how the pink flip-flops pop with this color combination

Title: Happy Feet
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Diecuts: Cricut(flower) circles (Quickutz)
Chalk: Craft-T
Stamps: Technique Tuesday
Ink: Stampin' Up!
Chipboard letters: Pressed Petals (pink letters) Scenic Route (brown letters)
Pen: Pigment Pro by American Crafts
Color Combination: Color Made Easy, Page 110-Rich and Creamy
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

For my second layout I decided to see if I could work backwards from a photo to a color combination. The picture of my daughter is predominantly pink, with a touch of gold. I started by looking at all the combinations on the Color Buddy color combination card for any combination containing pink. After looking at several, I decided on Pretty and Pink for my combination. I knew I couldn’t go wrong with all the different shades of pink! On page 22 of the book I found that several of the subgroups had black in them. I fell in love with the group that used black as the dominate color. I really like how this combination isn’t limited to just pink.

Title: What a Fairytale
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Stamp (Technique Tuesday)
Ink (Stampin' Up!)
Beads (Queen and Co)
Ribbon (May Arts)
Rub-on (Creative Imaginations)
Journaling spot (Heidi Swapp)
Heart Punch (EK Success Whale Punch)
Stick Pin (Heidi Grace)
Pen (American Crafts)
Color Combination (Color Made Easy, page 22-Pretty and Pink)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner, A Fine Line...Beads, Glass, ETC.)

As soon as I finish this review I am heading to my office supply store to have this book spiral bound, something that I wish had been part of the book to begin with. I believe that having it spiral bound is going to really expand my ability to use it. I really like the Color Buddy as well. I feel that it is going to be very useful to me. The only flaw is that the Color Buddy cards are not easy to punch out.

I believe this book is a good resource to have on hand as one can either work from photos or start with one of the color combinations found in the book. Along with the sections dedicated to color combinations from the past, and the trendy sections in the front of this book, all your color needs are covered.

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