I sometimes do controlled scrappy (that's with all kinds of fabrics within a color scheme) but more often I do completely scrappy, using value rather than color to make the design.
I've had the same reaction to Bonnie's quilts when I see pictures online, but when I've seen those same quilts in person they no longer seem so busy to me. I think it's because she deals with relatively small pieces. Seeing the whole quilt in a picture makes those small pieces tend to run together, but when you see them in their actual size you see the design they make, and it's wonderful.