Just for you!

Ta-daaaaaaaa!

A before and after! I finally remembered to take a screen cap of Alane's before project just for you guys. Isn't it quite a transformation? Alane wanted a wide, clean, boxed off space - but without the look of a bar graph boxing off those elements can bring. So her main posting area is blocked off, but the sidebars mesh into the background. It's the first of it's kind I've done like that. You can visit Alane's blog live, here at Reaping a Harvest.

Before:


After:

I Gave Myself a Makeover!

Ohhhh ahhhhh. The changes are subtle, but can you see them?

Debbie, from This is the Life, started calling me The Fairy Blogmother after I redid her blog and updated her sidebar buttons. She absolutely cracks me up, and with her permission, I've adapted her nickname for me into the blog design. Thanks, Debbie! And if you haven't read her blog yet, you should. She's witty and funny.

And if you haven't yet checked out the awesome new Graphically Designing Portfolio - go take a peek over there! It's a 1-column blog, inspired by another fabulous blogger!

Mimi, Joy and Nikke are Live! Mock-ups for Mystele and Christa.

Mimi wanted something bella and femminile. This is her end result. Che bella!



Joy wanted to highlight the country boy in her hubby and her city girl, runner roots. Aren't the stripes cute? I made them with colors from her blog to tie it all together. The country boy and city girl graphics were purchased at istockphoto.



Nikke wanted an animated fish and a 2-column blog. Isn't this sometimes true about motherhood? Do you ever feel like you're swimming in circles? This was a fun makeover!



I LOVE Mystele's project. She is artistic and fun. She makes gorgeous folk art. I wanted to highlight as much of her own work as possible in her space. Isn't she talented?! (We have already updated this a few times - you'll have to come back for the drastic finished product!)



This is a very early mock-up for Christa. Christa is going to give my design muscles a thorough work out! I love when I am pushed to try new things. Her blog will feature animation. Flex, flex, flex!

Mock Up for Nikke

Her blog name is "Mom is in the Fishbowl". She wanted a 2-column blog. How many of us can identify with the feeling of swimming in circles? So I made a cute little mommy fish swimming around as her first mock up. Isn't she cute?

Julie is Live!

She picked red! And her blog is a perfect example of really using buttons. She has clickable links at the top which take you to her and her busband's ministry site, family videos, etc. And the film strip - such a clever idea! I love the black and white on red! Julie and her family live in gorgeous Budapest, Hungary.

Template for Julie, Mock Up and Template for Lisa

Julie from Hungary are I are trying to decide if we should do her template with a red accent or a baby blue accent. Decisions, decisions!




This is a template and header for Lisa. Unlike most templates I do where the sidebar headers are .gifs and have to be decided upon before completion, Lisa's sidebar headers are completely editable by her. Aren't I getting smart and nerdy???



I am whittling down that queue. I have a few who are not responding - so if you emailed me in early March about my queue and haven't heard from me, check your junk mail. After 3-4 tries, I am going to have to move on to the next person. :/

Becky and Krista are Live!

Beck wanted a 2-column, layered, textured scrapbook look and Krista loved the animated woman we found over at istockphoto. She wanted a 3-column space. Both are reflective of their personalities: warm, busy, homey, fun. Stop by - they're even cuter in person!




I especially loved the buttons they each chose. So different, but so perfect for their blog spaces. Watch this one!

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?

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!).

This Blog Makes Me Squeal Like a Schoolgirl!

Move over Dawne... you've been replaced in the "speediest ever" department! This one took me 10 hours flat. Although, it helped tremendously that Debbie saw the header she wanted in another one of my posts. Since the header is usually what takes me most amount of time, that really made Debbie's blog move along quickly.

Debbie and I bunkered down most of the day Saturday, emailing back and forth until this... our combined Magnus Opus was created. I just love her color choices! Isn't it divine???



It's so divine, in fact, it inspired me to make over my blog here at Graphically Designing (coming soon!). I love a good two-column blog. Most of my clients are homeschoolers who need the extra 3 column for storing curriculum choices, so I rarely get the opportunity for a pretty two-column template. My caffeine-addicted pal Debbie and I both need a two-column blog, because we don't have a lot of sidebar stuff. I started with a Minima Stretch template, and tweaked and tweaked. It has a nice, wide main body... which is great for photos and wordy folks like me.

Thanks, Debbie. That was a ton a fun! Hope you enjoy your new space.

ps - Homeschoolers, I wanted to let you know what an enormous resource Dawne's blog has become. Since her makeover, she has invested many hours uploading immeasurable resources. Bookmark her and check back often. And thanks, Dawne, for your hard work! I have found many valuable links and lists there. :)

Some of My Work (Portfolio)

Click on each graphic to see it blown up.

(Lightning and lemon photos, credit to istockphoto, color altered by Graphically Designing)

(Woman graphic credit to istockphoto.)




(Photo credit to istockphoto.)





(Ebay logo belongs to ebay.)

(photo credit to istockphoto)







(Woman graphic credit to istockphoto.)

(Photo credit to Skeller, the blog owner)






(retro coffee graphics credit to istockphoto)



(Yoga woman credit to istockphoto)

(Photo credit to Blog owner. Tulip credit to istockphoto.)




(water drops credit istockphoto)

(flower graphics istockphoto)



(The country boy and city girl graphics were purchased at istockphoto.)