DigitalScrapbook.com CU Blog Train June 2016 - Ideas

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DigitalScrapbook.com CU Blog Train June 2016 - Ideas

I think it is time to start the CU blog train. Since this is the first CU blog train we are going to do here are some basic rules.

  • on the 20th of each month, I will post an ideas thread
  • on the 25th of each month, I will announce which idea we will go with
  • on the 13th of each month, I will post a final list
  • on the 15th of each month, we will post our parts on blogs

For each train, you will make between 1 to 3 CU element/paper templates (no more) which you will giveaway on your blog on the 15th. You can have them available for minimum 2 weeks.

So it is your turn to share some ideas where you want to go in June? Share some fun theme ideas.

There's a patron request for a bath time kit, and one for cowboy/cowgirl, and one for backyard play. Any of those could make a good theme.

If we choose to do a seasonal theme, we should look a few months ahead so that the CU stuff is ready for this year's kits. Designers will need at least a month of lead time to get a kit together and promotional materials ready, so we're looking at August/September seasonal stuff, which would be back-to-school and autumn. Oooh, the summer Olympics are in August this year! That could be a fantastic theme! Other odd holidays in August include Nat'l Watermelon Day, Nat'l Thriftshop Day, Friendship Day, Sisters Day, and Nat'l Dog Day...and all of those could make for good themes for a CU train. There's also Teddy Bear Day, Nat'l Pet Memorial Day, Talk Like A Pirate Day, and Positive Thinking Day in September, if we want to work a little further ahead.

I'm tempted to suggest a static color palette for the CU train, as things will be expected to be recolored anyway. This has enough variety to handle items for the entire year, though we could choose subsets of it for different months as the theme dictates. Adding #808080 (18% neutral gray, perfect for grayscale items) is possible if we wish to add one more gray tone to the palette.

Hello ladies!

Holly, do you mean to use the same palette during one whole year??? If that's the idea, I'm afraid but I don't agree: I think it is better to use a different palette for each themed kit.

About a seasonal theme, for me it is ok, but thinking outside the box, there is no need to make always a kit related to the season, there are also other themes that can be done no matter the season we are; as you mentioned, a bath kit is a general kit that could be made whenever we want!

In addition, there are other celebrations from other countries and cultures... here at pixelscrapper there are designers from around the world (I am Spanish for instance) so we can also deal with other ideas, not only "American-culture-cellebrations", and don't misunderstand me, I adore your culture but you mentioned some cellebrations that I had to google to know what they mean! smiley

And to start with the CU blog train for nex month we can vote for those three themes:

-a bath time kit
-a cowboy/cowgirl kit
-a backyard play kit

What do you think?

I'm not sure about color palettes, but I do love the idea of tackling the Bathtime kit that has been requested.

This is the palette I've been using for my Build Your Basics stuff, and I've found it works great for tackling random themes so they can build on each other. That way I don't have to make solid papers, or basic patterned papers for every kit, but can really focus on the theme. Of course, as a CU train, it may be more focused on templates, and less reliant on colors...

For some reason, in my head, I was thinking we'd be making grayscale templates for the CU train. But I guess it's just as easy to throw color in. I don't really mind a static palette as long as it's big (like what Marisa posted), but then we have an issue where the kit might not come together/look cohesive.

Ok, yes...I just re-read Ania's initial post.

Quote:
For each train, you will make between 1 to 3 CU element/paper templates (no more) which you will giveaway on your blog on the 15th. You can have them available for minimum 2 weeks.

So, there wouldn't actually be a color palette, right. Everything would be grayscale, right?

If you ladies want to have a color palette for the templates we can do this to make sure they coordinate with each other. it is all up to you. What you ladies like. To make it more appealing we can make the palette in neutrals like grays, whites, beige, browns and blacks, so it is not just grays, colors always make a product stand out. I would create a simple basics palette that would be used for each train and there will be no confusion.

I'd be more in favor of a neutral palette that would go with almost any layout. Or perhaps include a colored AND grayscale version for those who know how or want to recolor the element/template. Since it would only be 1-3 each, providing both a colored and grayscale version wouldn't be difficult.

Those are my two cents!

Yeah, some things, especially photographic elements, work better as non-grayscale photos. I know that I tend to find layered vectors more appealing when the shapes are in color, and I can visualize a finished result to match my kit more easily...which makes me more likely to buy them in a shop. I'm not saying everything needs color, but it's really helpful in some things, even if it's the very limited palette I posted--just enough to give some representative color to a layered element for those who have a similar cognitive block to mine.

Oh, that sounds greats to make items in neutral colors!