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>

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!

A Little More About Donations & Paypal

I have had several people read my terms and still ask about donations.

Let me be clear. I don't charge. I won't give you a bill at the end of my services.

Professional blog design is very expensive - out of reach for some bloggers. So in an attempt to put design into the hands of the average blogger, I have set up a method of donation. It allows regular bloggers to get a personalized space and pay what they can. Some are able to pay me regular design fees, and I appreciate them very much. Some are not, and that's okay, too. So, I design and people pay me what they can. Please don't ask me to give you a number. It makes me terribly uncomfortable.

I have a Paypal account that accepts all forms of Paypal: debit, credit, transfer, existing balance, etc. Paypal is a safe way for me to accept donations and helps me keep my family safe by allowing me to keep my address private. Also, accepting personal checks can be very awkward for me when the funds are not present. I'd like to avoid that. I won't be a bill collector. All you need is my email address. Making a payment there is no less safe than buying something through Amazon or shopping online. Paypal is easy to use and secure for both of us.

Hope that clears some things up. I will keep track of my hours, and most find that helps them gage what they feel is appropriate.

Up and Running - My Terms

What started as a little sprucing for a few friends has grown into something beyond my wildest imagination. I am not a professional web designer. I'm a homeschool mom who loves design; I happen to have a couple tricks up my sleeve. I also believe every blogger should have a hip, cool space that reflects them! Why have the same thing as everyone else?

I am setting up shop and my quest is to make the blogosphere a brighter, more personalized place. I've priced out the cost of blog design out there. Design work is expensive! Paid by the hour or paid by the job - professional design can cost hundreds (or even thousands!) of dollars. But most bloggers don't need all the bells and whistles. They just want pretty, hip, customized images and graphics that reflect them. That shouldn't cost thousands or even hundreds of dollars! But it takes many hours to create a customized space. To help my family's homeschool expenses and offset my hours, but still make blog design affordable for everyone, I've decided to customize blog headers and templates for donation.

Here is an excerpt of an email I recently sent to a client about the business ends of things:

"About the business end of it. Ugh, I really hate the business end of it, I really do! I accept any type of Paypal: credit card, balance, e-check or bank transfer. I know blog design is expensive. I decided to offer my designs for Bloggers because you aren't Blogging for profit. It's a hobby. I always advise that a donation would be an amount your husband wouldn't question. As a general guide, people usually pay me more than a babysitter or house-cleaning service but less then they'd pay a graphic designer. I will keep track of my hours, if that helps you, great. I do say this... I will complete the entire design and get you live before I will accept a donation. I do this so you are sure that any donation DOES NOT dictate my design work. I want everyone who feels like they want a fun, personalized space to get one. For some, they are comfortably able to donate more than others. And I do not feel badly about that, nor do I let Bloggers feel badly about that. This is supposed to be fun. So from here on out - it's a non issue... see how you feel at the end, I'll let you know my time invested."

I do ask that you host a button that links back to this blog on your side bar, acknowledging my work. It's a small, unobtrusive, clickable button that looks like this:

It's a win-win. Email me if you're interested.