April's Review	Andrea's Review	Randi's Review	Catherine's Review	Karen's Review

Review by April

If someone mentions coloring, doodling, or trying out a new art medium, you can count me in! I love creating and experimenting with all types of pencils, pens, crayons, and markers, so I was thrilled to learn I would soon be reviewing Staedtler's Ergosoft coloured pencils! Staedtler produces some of the best writing and drawing instruments currently available on the market. They are known for their product variety, creative design, functionality, and overall excellence. With over a 170 years of rich tradition and history, Staedtler is one of the oldest industrial companies in Germany. Their products can be found in over 150 countries around the globe and they are considered one of the leading pencil manufacturers worldwide. Staedtler Inc. USA was founded in 1922 and provides environmentally safe and consumer friendly products that all have the "Approved Product" seal of the Art and Creative Materials Institute. With thousands of exceptional high quality art products to choose from, it's hard to go wrong with anything created by Staedtler!

For this review, I received a Staedtler box set of 24 different Ergosoft coloured pencils. The coloured pencil case alone was enough to make me drool. It's a beautiful transparent blue case that is extremely functional! It can stand on it's own, it provides protection for your coloured pencils, it's easy to open and close, and it's refillable. I'm not sure what more you could possibly ask for in a coloured pencil carrying case! All of the pencil colors are remarkable and are accurately represented on the outside of the pencil. There are a few important details that really make these coloured pencils stand out from others. The first being that each one has a triangular shape intended to maximize productivity by reducing operator fatigue and discomfort. By my observations, the triangular shape also kept them from rolling away. They also have a unique, non-slip surface that is extremely smooth and soft. Oddly enough I just enjoyed holding the pencils in my hands even when I wasn't using them. Since the non-slip surface prevents fingers from slipping, they would actually be great for my kids...that is if I decided not to be selfish and share them. Each coloured pencil has a name field on it, so you can easily add either the designated color name, or get creative and name each color yourself! All of the coloured pencils are easy to sharpen with any quality sharpener, and have a lead diameter of 3mm.

The first thing I created was a small chart for quick color reference. I drew several circles on a sheet of cardstock and then filled in each one with a different color. This way I could see the true color of each pencil, and it makes it easier to decide which color you need for any given project. All of the colors were vibrant and gorgeous.

For my first layout, I painted a 12" x 12" page tile with black paint and adhered it to a sheet of cardstock. Then I used the Ergosoft coloured pencils to color in all of the cut out flower and stems. I also outlined the outside edge of the page tile with the turquoise coloured pencil. All of the colors came out bright and vibrant and really helped the entire piece just pop! I added a few rub-ons, some journaling, and a dab of glitter glue in the centers of the flowers.

Title: Reach For Your Dreams
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Coloured Pencils (Staedtler Ergosoft)
Page Tile (Technique Tuesday)
Rub-Ons (Autumn Leaves, & Tinkering Ink)
Gel Pen (Uniball)
Paint (Ranger)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

On my second layout, I decided to try journaling with the Ergosoft coloured pencils. I thought the willow green and black coloured pencils complimented my photos and embellishments perfectly. Even though I had to re-sharpen the pencils a few times while journaling, I was still able to achieve my desired journaling style and size. I also used the pencils to draw a frame around the inside of the layout and around my main photo.

Title: Imagination Escape
Products used:
Coloured Pencils (Staedtler Ergosoft)
Die Cut Paper (KI Memories)
Sequin (Maya Road)
Brad (Karen Foster)
Rub-On (Scenic Route)
Chipboard Die Cut (Unique Pages)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I had a lot of fun creating my third layout. I started with a black and white patterned paper that was just begging to be colored! The entire sheet was colored with the Ergosoft coloured pencils, and I used a variety of blending techniques to help each of the hearts stand out. The paper was so pretty after I finished coloring, I almost thought about hanging it on the wall as is. To complete the design, I simply added a title, a felt arrow, and then I journaled in a few of the hearts.

Title: Love U
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Coloured Pencils (Staedtler Ergosoft)
Patterned Paper (Prima Paintable)
Chipboard (Scenic Route)
Pens (Uniball & Zig)
Felt (Fancy Pants)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I created an art journal for my last project. I used the Ergosoft coloured pencils to draw the sun, flowers, grass. Since there were three varieties of each of the green, yellow, and orange pencils, I was able to use all of them to create cool blended designs. This project was pure coloring fun and I love how all of the colors looked on the chipboard background!

Title: Art Journal
Products used:
Coloured Pencils (Staedtler Ergosoft)
Chipboard Book (Stampin' Up!)
Glitter Glue (Ranger Stickles)
Label (Brother P-Touch)

I have tried several different coloured pencils over the years and I have to say that these are hands down my favorite to date! I love how easy they are to hold and the feel of the triangular pencil shape. when coloring, I was able to achieve a beautiful bold color without having to press down hard at all. The lead in each pencil held up well to different amounts of pressure and almost had the consistency of a super thin crayon, rather than a hard pencil line. I thought they blended well with other colors and I loved the fact that I could easily erase any mistakes! The box the pencils came in is awesome and has a very sleek design that would fit perfectly into almost any art caddy or scrapbook tote. If you are looking for a good set of coloured pencils to add to your stash, these are the ones I would recommend!

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Review by Andrea

Colored pencils were the first real medium that I used when drawing and coloring, in fact I still have the set that I used back then! They were in a metal hinged tin, hard wood and not too giving on the color. By that I mean that the leads were hard like the wood which required more finger pressure during coloring. They worked great for fine line work, but not very friendly when it came to everything else a kid wanted to do with colored pencils!

Fast forward 30+ years and the modern innovation of Staedtler Ergosoft Colored Pencils have brought back the joy that simple coloring had for me in my grade school years. The suede-soft barrel of the pencil is a 100% improvement over the slick surface of other pencils! Coupled with the triangular shape of the pencil (yes, they did figure out how to fit a round lead into a triangle shape) AND super colorful leads, the Ergosoft pencils are an A+. Even more benefits abound: a standard pencil sharpener can be used, each pencil has a place for your name (remember grade school when the bullies took your stuff? Not now they can't!) and a super cool plastic case encloses the pencils that doubles as an easel! If I'm this excited as an adult, can you imagine how a kid would feel?

Our review package included the 12-piece set of colored pencils in the most common colors of the rainbow with a couple lighter or darker tones thrown in for good measure, plus black. The leads are 3 mm which is a good size for detailing when the point is sharp and blending when semi-dull. The barrel is as long as a standard pencil minus the erasure and is colored the same as the lead for easy identification. The extra soft grip on the barrel is easy on the fingers for both holding and stabilizing during coloring. Since the product is made in Germany, it oozes good quality from the product to the packaging. In fact, the outer clamshell was a bit difficult to open due to the tamper-proof features, so use a good pair of scissors when opening the package after purchasing.

Doodling and freeform drawing are both so popular, that I've also been caught up in it! On the following project I started embellishing the paper with color to contrast the black and white background. Since the name of the collection is "Just Add Color", that's what I did! Using my old lettering templates for the title made it really fun as I added my own flair by tracing over the letters multiple times to give a very casual look. The harsh pencil lines were left on the title to give extra character to the bold solid lines of the background paper. The pencils worked well to add color where I wanted it. When a couple pencil strokes went astray, a white eraser took care of them easily.

Title: Latest & Greatest
Products used: Patterned Paper (Urban Lily, Just Add Color Collection)
Colored Pencils (Staedtler ErgoSoft)
Lettering Templates (ABC Tracers)
Flowers (Heidi Swapp, Prima)
Dottie Ann Mesh (Magic Mesh)
Ribbon (BoBunny)
Brad (Karen Foster Design)
Sketch (www.123-Scrap.com)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I just love these Prima Paintables and knew the Staedtler pencils would work wonderfully on them for blending. The color is so rich that it just flows right onto the page. Even though the paper is on the heavier-textured side, the color gets embedded into the texture without depositing too much on the paper. It doesn't crumble or smear the paper, it merely takes the shape of the hills and valleys very well. Since the look that I wanted was blended, I used odorless mineral spirits (Gamsol) to blend the colors into each other. Using the black print as the guideline, I ran the color along the inside of the design and blended from the outside in with the mineral spirits. It was so beautiful as the pencil strokes fainted into one with each other and the paper. A darker color was used for the inside of the leaves and flowers, so that color was blended out into the lighter tones. I didn't take long to bring the flowers and leaves to life! The title was a simple outline with the color and blend inside for the softening of the tone.

Title: Genuine
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics Black)
Patterned Paper and Bling (Prima)
Colored Pencils (Staedtler Ergo Soft)
Blending Solution (Inky Antics Gamsol)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

The Ergosoft Colored Pencils are a terrific product through and through. From the depth of color to the ease of use, Staedtler really gets high marks for this one! The triangular shaped, soft touch barrel offers so much comfort to the user, that you don't want to put the pencil down! If you do, at least it doesn't roll away! They are fantastic for shading and blending along with outlining. Crafters of all shapes, sizes and ages would enjoy this product thoroughly. I'm going out to the local art store to find the other 12 colors to make the set complete!

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Review by Randi

Every artist (child and adult) has a set of colored pencils. There is nothing unusual about them, right? At first glance, this appeared to be the case. I received a set of twelve Ergosoft colored pencils from Staedtler. Since I had previously reviewed their Watercolor Brush Markers, I figured they would be quality, but my expectations were surpassed.

The set arrived enclosed in the usual soft plastic packaging with a hang tag, but inside was a surprise! A plastic blue easel case was included to permanently house my pencils. It is great not only for storage, but also ease of use. Generally my writing utensils get lost on my desk when I have a work in progress, but these were always handy and well visible in their case. What a cool idea!

There were some other things that made this pencil set unique. The pencils themselves had triangular shaped barrels. This made them very easy to grip, and much less likely to roll away if I sat one down. They had a soft coating that made them easy to grip and less likely to slip. According to research I did on the Internet, their quality German engineering makes the soft, 3.0mm leads break-resistant (50% stronger and increases break-resistance by 30%) and also easier to sharpen. They even had a name box printed at the top of each pencil on which one can write their name! This feature is very handy, especially for children who might take them to school.

Colored pencils can be used many ways in scrapbooking. I colorized a stamped image of a coffee mug with them on this first project.

Robot Cafe
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Metal Edge patterned paper from Not Too Shabby Collection (Sticker Studio)
Red and Van Dyck Brown Ergosoft Colored Pencils (Staedtler)
Coffee Cup Stamp (Rubber Necker)
Dark Brown Colorbox Fluid Chalk Inkpad (ClearSnap)
Sticko Debossed Neon Signs "Drinks Delight" stickers (EK Success)
Metal Hardware and Alpha Tags Textured Stickers (Sticker Studio)
Mini Brads (Heidi Swapp)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I have the entire collection of the "Journaling Genies" from Chatterbox. At one time I used them quite a bit, but they've been stuck away in a binder for a few years. I had the chance to try them out again with the pencils. I loved the vibrant colors of these pencils that stood out, even on the darker cardstock.

Driving
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Light Blue, Blue, Dark Maroon, Willow Green Ergosoft Colored Pencils (Staedtler)
Journaling Genie Stencils (Chatterbox)
Dora the Explorer Stickers (Sandylion)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I chose to use the pencils in a more subtle way on this last project. Look closely and you'll see that the stamped phrase and part of the title block are off-white textured cardstock shaded with the Light Blue pencil.

Princess
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Karen Foster Design)
Light Blue Ergosoft Colored Pencils (Staedtler)
Storybook Phrases Stickers (Karen Foster Design)
Phrase Stamp (Past Times Stamps)
Pitch Black Adirondack Ink Pad (Ranger)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I like these pencils a lot! I had no problems with breakage except for the blue one which repeatedly broke after each sharpening. Maybe it was dropped too many times in transit?? The pencils were easy to sharpen in a standard pencil sharpener. I found these sets online with a retail price of $12.00 to $16.00. At an average of $1.00 per pencil, they are well worth their modest cost.

As a homeschool mom, I found the red pencil very handy for correcting school work. They wrote smoothly and dark enough to really see what I had written, whether on school work or on scrapbook journaling. My children loved coloring with them, and you saw above some of the neat ways to include them in scrapbooking. I'm confident you'll find many ways to use these pencils, and love them in the process.

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Review by Catherine

In the past, I have found Staedtler Arts and Crafts products to be of high quality, long-lasting, and inspirational. I love their brush marker sets, so I was very excited to learn that we would get the chance to review their Ergosoft Colored Pencil set. I love using a variety of mediums in my scrapbooks, but colored pencils are one thing that I haven't explored very much.

Staedtler sent us a set of twelve colored pencils. The Ergosoft design was a surprise to me, when I opened the package. The pencils are triangular shaped, instead of circular. The ergonomic shape is said to make writing easier. I certainly had no problem using them easily. The Ergosoft pencils come in their own recloseable stand-up box, with a separate slot for each pencil. This really made getting the pencils out of and into the box while I was using them very easy. I have to admit that I was a little stumped once I had the box set up to stand up, as to how to make it close. After toting around the pencil box in its standable position, I realized that the top portion of the would snap open with a little bit of force. Now I am able to lay the pencils flat when I want to as well.

I used the Ergosoft pencils throughout the month for doodling and sketching. I have been very pleased with how soft the lead in the pencils is. No harsh pencil lines if I didn't want them. I have been looking for a background paper for several months that has a subtle blended blue and green background with script writing over the top. Since I haven't been able to find what I had been looking for, I decided to use my new Ergosoft pencils to create what I wanted. I purchased a piece of black and white script paper, and colored the background I wanted onto it. Overall, I am very pleased with the results.

Title: Thankful
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Kraft)
Patterned Paper (Paper Studio)
Colored Pencils (Staedtler Ergosoft)
Rub-ons (American Crafts)
Glitter Stickers (Target Dollar Spot)
Clip (7gypsies)
Clear Tags and Shapes (Making Memories)
Stamps (PSX)
Journaling Block (Heidi Swapp)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I am kind of out of practice drawing, so I decided to try my hand at drawing a simple shape and coloring it for a card. I am looking forward to working more with my new colored pencils, and I am hoping that my drawing skills will improve with more practice. For the card for my second project, however, I just drew a swirly heart shape for a simple "Thank You" card.

Title: Heart Thank You
Products used: Cardstock (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (KI Memories)
Colored Pencils (Staedtler Ergosoft)
Pens (American Crafts)
Journaling Shape (Daisy D's)
Alphabet Stickers (Making Memories)
Adhesive (AdTech Permanent Bond Glue Runner; Foam Dots)

I absolutely adore the Staedtler Ergosoft Colored pencils. Their shape makes them easy to use, as well as the soft lead that they are produced with. These colored pencils would make a wonderful addition to any crafter's supplies. I love discovering tools and products that can be used over and over again in numerous ways, and Staedtler products fit right into that category. I highly recommend that anyone who sees them grab up a set of Ergosoft Colored Pencils.

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Review by Karen

I am a long time lover of Staedtler products. They supply both the watercolor pencils and crayons that I use regularly, and have owned for years. I love to try new products from companies that I have come to know and trust. So to be able to test out the Ergosoft line of colored pencils was something that I looked forward to.

In my box, I received a set of the 12 pencil set of Ergosoft pencils. This set comes in a hard plastic packaging that has to be "broken" open. It also has a hang tab for store use. I actually would have liked to be able to reuse the packaging so that I could hang the pencils to the left of my work station, where they would be in plain view. But I was a bit too aggressive in opening the package. Once the package is opened, I found that the pencils came in a storage case that could double as an easel for easy access while working with the pencils.

While I really think that the easel stand is cool, what I really want to focus on is the pencils themselves. About 3 months ago, I was in a car wreck where I tore the ligaments in my thumb. I'm slowly healing but it seems that there is one area that I still have quite a bit of pain in. That area would be using writing or coloring. It really doesn't matter if it's a pen, pencil or crayon because all of them end in my hand hurting. I guess that I had a personal reason for wanting to try this review, to see if there was a pencil out there that would not hurt my hand.

These pencils are actually triangular in shape, rather than being round. What this does is it lowers the amount of pressure that you have to put on the pencil with your thumb. For me, this allowed my coloring time to double before I felt any pain. This is a huge deal for me and it really allows me to go back to coloring images again. Another fun addition to this set of pencils is a place where you can write your name. Since each side of the pencil is flat, you are now able to easily identify your pencils as yours. I can see this being a benefit when I scrapbook somewhere other than my home.

Since the Ergosoft pencils allowed me to color longer than I've been able to in months, I was able to complete all of the coloring for each of my projects in one sitting of about an hour. At the end of that hour, with other color pencils, I would have been in quite a bit of pain (say about a 6 on a pain scale) but when I finished with the Ergosoft pencils my pain level was considerably lower, around a 3 which is the same as me working on the computer for several hours. I bet you are wondering why I mentioned this, never fear I'll share. As we get older, our joints begin to hurt more. It seems that things that we used to be able to do routinely are not as easily accomplished. I feel like this set of pencils has given me back something that I wasn't sure if I would ever have again - the ability to sit and color.

In my first example you are really only seeing a small portion of what I colored. When I sat down to work on this layout, I knew that I wanted to add bright colorful flowers as accents. What I didn't know was what color combination would work for the finished page. I created several different flowers in different colors, but in the end went with these two on the finished page.

Title: The Beach
Products used: Cardstock Kraft, Rose Light (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Heidi Swapp)
Colored pencils Ergosoft (Steadtler)
Stamps (See D's Lil stamps)
Ink (India Ink)
Rub-ons (Scenic Route)
Letters (American Crafts)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

My second project is a card. I started by punching out several squares of paper. I then stamped each one with the image of a party hat. I used the Ergosoft pencils to color in the images. Again, I didn't color just the one image but I tried several color combinations before I went with the one shown. I should also mention how easily it is to color with these pencils. The lead is soft which allows the color to easily transfer to the paper's surface.

Title: Grand Birthday
Products used: Cardstock Sage Dark (Prism Prismatics)
Colored Pencils Ergosoft (Steadtler)
Stamps (The Angel Company)
Ink (India Ink)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

My last example really show how easy it is to blend these soft leads. I used a "magic colored pencil" technique to get the colors to blend. I really like how easy it was to create this cute card. And how at the end of coloring it my hand really didn't hurt as much as I expected.

Title: Boo card
Products used: Cardstock Intense mint, White (Prism Prismatics)
Patterned Paper (Memories in the Making)
Stamp (Eat Cake Graphics)
Letter Stencil (unknown)
Ink (India Ink)
Colored Pencils Ergosoft (Steadtler)
Adhesive (Adhesive Tech, Permanent Bond Glue Runner)

I am very excited about the Ergosoft colored pencils by Steadtler. I love everything about them. How easy they are on my hand, how easy it is to work with them, and how easy it is to store them in the easel case. I also love that Steadtler has introduced the Ergosoft concept in their watercolor pencil line as well, I'll be on the lookout for that set locally. Thank you Steadtler for coming up with a product that recognizes the need to be easy on our hands. I look forward to using these, and the water color pencils, over and over.

For those who don't have a set of colored pencils or who need something that is easier on the hands, this is the set for you. I don't often recommend replacing something that you currently have, but this will be an exception. You really need to get these pencils in your hands to see what a wonderful thing they really are.

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