Tammy is Live, Mock Ups for Krista

Tammy already had a really good grasp on how she wanted her blog to look before she started. She loves the vintage look, and already had this image of the vintage lady she wanted me to incorporate. So I made her a cute little frame, and there she sits. We used the frames again for buttons on her sidebars. Tammy's blog is live, and here is her final result:



I also have some mock ups for Krista. Krista is a self-described "can't say no", over-committed momma. She wanted a blog look to reflect everything that she precariously balances. I found an image of a woman doing yoga over at istockphoto, and I was able to draw a few juggled balls and tasks, and balance her on top of the world. Krista you are one busy momma!

Blogging Tip: How to Center Your Images & Pictures

Ever notice that your images aren't spaced well in your sidebars? Want them to be centered? Would you prefer a different size that Blogger automatically formats?

This is easy. In Blogger, people tend to choose "Add Picture" from the "Choose a New Element" pop up page. Don't! Blogger floats all images left. If you want your graphics centered, it's a multi-step but easy process. (I promise!)

1. Resize your image. Most digital cameras come with photo-editing software. But if you don't have one I have two I can recommend. I usually recommend Irfanview. It's free, downloadable and easy to use! You can remove red eye, crop and resize your photos. But last week, the creators of Photoshop have released an online version of Photoshop called Photoshop Express. You don't even have to download it - it's all online! It's free but you have to register. You can make your photos black and white, fix the lighting/exposure, remove red eye, crop, resize, etc. Free!

For sidebars, you'll want your images and graphics to be 175 or 200 pixels wide. For your main body, you'll want your pictures around 400-600 pixels wide. You'll have to experiment to see what works best with your template.

2. Upload your file to Photobucket, Flickr, Snapfish or some other hosting service. Flickr doesn't allow images to link anywhere but Flickr, so I use Photobucket. You can use whichever program you like. They are all free to start.

3. Get the code for your image. You will have a code that looks like a URL link. Your photo will look like:

http://www.URL of your image.com

4. On Blogger, backstage on your sidebar choose "Add html/Javascript" instead of "Add Picture". In the space, enter the code for your picture. If you want it in a post, just insert the code in your post.

<center><img src="http://www.URL of your image.com/"></center>

Replace the words "URL of your image" with the code Photobucket gave you for your image. Save and viola'! You now have a resized and centered image.

The Patience of Job

This post goes to Perla, over at The Classical Mommy! I've mentioned over in my sidebar how I've been wanting to expand my repetoire beyond Blogger. Well, Perla blogs over at WordPress. I've never done graphics for a WordPress blog; add to that the 10 hour time difference between Iowa and Saudi Arabia... Perla endured a lot of my pokiness and learning curve. Anyone else probably would have given up on me! But Perla had a definite vision in mind, and wouldn't let me rest until I got it right. I learned so much working on this blog - thanks, Perla, for putting up with me! Gracias amiga! Tienes la paciencia de Job!

Here is the WordPress-compatable header and footer I made. Flowers and swirls adapted from istockphoto.

Brenna Attempt 2, one for Anita and Erin

This one I've been meaning to post for awhile - the mother daughter partnership of Anita and Erin paired up for a foodie blog: Our Kitchen Adventures. But not just any foodie blog - one that focuses on wholesome foods and pure ingredients. It's got a very simple, clean layout wih strong color. Take a peek, it's already live!



This one was a lot of fun; I have an affinity for *nice* teen girls. Being a teenager comes with its own angst, it takes a lot of grace to get through so much change in such a short period of time. Teens should have a place for creative expression and writing. Here is Erin's mock up:


And yes - that's the same Erin from the Our Kitchen Adventures blog above. :)

This one is for Brenna. Proof that designers don't always get it right the first (or tenth time). Isn't her daughter a beauty?

Mock Ups for Sara and Brenna

B.J.'s blog is live and now I have a mock-up for his cute wife, Sara. Mmmm... coffee!



This one is for Brenna. I think my email and Brenna's email are worst enemies. Brenna - I'll meet you on gmail chat!


Edit: the above blog is now available! Email me if you're interested.

Skeller's Divine Photos have a home. A mock-up for B.J.

Don't forget to update your bookmarks: www.graphicallydesigning.com!

Whew! I've been busy. I have a few blogs backed up so I haven't even been able to post all the mock ups or the processes, but I do have a few finished products for you and some mock ups.

Oh oh oh! I am SO excited about this first one. I will admit, I was a little intimidated before because my friend, Skeller, wanted... *gasp* a SINGLE column blog for her blog Short On Words. That's right, none of those pesky side bars to clutter her gorgeous photos. I have never coded a blog with just a main body before, so it was new for me. But check it out - it's a beauty! I wish I could take all the credit, but the truth is Skeller took that photo and she picked out the color scheme. Isn't it divine?



This next mock up is for B.J. He needs a tidy place to keep his golf schedule and a link to his sponsors, and well, a few notes of encouragement from his fans wouldn't hurt! ;) Here is B.J.'s mock up. I'll be making a blog for his wife, Sara, soon too (send me your wish list, Sara!).

Please Update Your Bookmarks!

Graphically Designing is growing up! She's taking her first steps... and now she can be found on the web at:

http://www.graphicallydesigning.com/

The .blogspot address will still forward here, but it's no longer necessary to remember the whole URL. Phew!



As a result though - all the gracious people who have hosted my button will get redirect links. To alleviate that, you can go to the wrench or the "Add Elements" page to edit the string of code. Just erase the .blogspot from the code, and add the "www" so it looks like this:

<center><a href="http://www.graphicallydesigning.com/"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff293/my3boybarians/GDbutton.gif"></a></center>

If you'd really like to show your enthusiasm about Graphically Designing, you can host this pretty little thing:


By entering in this string of code as a new element:
200 pixels wide, copy and paste this:
<center><a href="http://www.graphicallydesigning.com/"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff293/my3boybarians/adbutton.gif"></a></center>


For 175 pixels wide, copy and paste this:
<center><a href="http://www.graphicallydesigning.com/"><img src="http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff293/my3boybarians/adbutton175.gif"></a></center>

This One's for Tangee! Jenny & Anita are Live!

If you have never been to Tangee's blog before... run over... yes, right now! She has the most beautiful picture of her pregnant belly. What a treasure. I think because I never got to have a 3rd trimester with Trouble, I can recognize how special those last months are. I have belly envy! So pretty.

Anyway, Tangee is a girl's girl. She likes whirly gigs, pink & brown, and lots of femininity. I've never made one like this so it was lots of fun. The pattern was found on istockphoto, and saved me lots of time from having to make one.



I also have two more blogs up and live!

First, was Jenny from over at Monkey Hugs. I'm not sure the world knows a gentler spirit. Jenny was so easy to work with. She found this beautiful photo of a little girl holding flowers. Isn't it great? We designed the blog around that, with those cute little hands as our inspiration.



Last, but not least, I am working with Anita on a couple of blogs. The first is her personal blog, Life, Less Interrupted. I laughed and laughed as she chose mock-up #2 and you all kept picking #1 or #3. That's the beauty of a custom blog, though. You get it the way YOU want it. Anyway, I am making a foodie blog for her and another for her daughter (coming soon!). But isn't this divine? I think it turned out so serene! Stay tuned for her others, which I'll feature here, too.

Header Mock-Ups for Anita

(woman graphic credit to istockphoto)

Some Headers for Hokey Pokey Life

Second Step in Blog Design

I find myself writing this email everyday... the first step of course, is to email me and get yourself in the queue. Once you've contacted me and I've got you in line, here is what I'd like you to do next:

1 - Set up a Photobucket account if you don't already have one. It's free, and you'll use it to host your graphics and images. If you already have an image hosting place, that's fine too, as long as I have access to the URL links for your images.

2 - Back up your blog. Blogger does not yet have a fluid transfer process. You won't lose any of your entries, but it's common to lose some sidebar stuff (called "widgets"), so it's a good idea to copy and paste everything into a Word or Pages document. It's much easier to copy and paste everything back than to start all over.

3 - Gather blogs or websites you like that showcase your style or what you're looking for. When I'm ready for you, I'll ask you for these. It helps me visualize what you want. Feel free to suggest fonts you like and your style. Some style words include: modern, retro, shabby, clean-lines, whimsical, scrapbook style, brightly-colored, jewel tones, earth tones, peaceful, nautical, simple/minimal, feminine, etc. You can describe what you want however you'd like, but the links to spaces that inspire you will help me the most.

4 - You aren't obligated, but certainly welcome to browse istockphoto or urbanfonts, as well as any online scrapbook retailer (ShabbyShoppe, Miss Peppermint, etc). Images, fonts and kits are easy (and fun!) to incorporate into your blog, but please keep in mind those expenses are yours.

I absolutely love creating fresh, hip blog spaces and graphics that reflect you. Thanks for letting me be part of that makeover!