August 29, 2011

Chalkboard Fun Template

By using this template, you agree to the terms of use.

 This template includes:
  a wide 2-column layout
  a background
  a matching header
  a post icon (picture next to the post title)
  a post divider (picture in between each post)

You can add/change:
  •     the Blog title and description shown on the header
  •    the font colors 
  •     the font  Click here to learn how.  (This template allows you to alter the date, post title and sidebar titles with a different font for each one.)
   Don't forget to add my button to your sidebar. Here's the code:




<center><a href=http://www.blogdesignsbydani.com/><img src="http://bdbd.blogdesignsbydani.com/Dani Button.png"/></a></center>


Design Elements by Crazy-4-Monograms
From her kit Class Act

August 26, 2011

New and Unique Fonts

I recently found a website called Graphic Design Degree. The author, Grant Dobbins, offers lots of information on finding schools and getting started. I would love more than anything to get a degree in graphic design, but since I have neither the time or money for it, I found another part of his site that I found interesting as well. You may enjoy it too.

I know when I do a design I am always looking for new and unique fonts to use. Unfortunately, I don't always know the best places to look for fonts. I usually use dafont.com but it's nice to have more than one resource. On Grant's site he has a page called "20 Amazing Web Sites to Find New and Unique Fonts". Not all of them are free, but you really can find some amazing fonts. If any of you are interested in typography, you can learn more on some of the links. 


So what are you waiting for? Go check it out!

August 20, 2011

What's the Difference Between a Background and a Template?

On my blog I offer both backgrounds and templates. Are you wondering what the difference is? Some people on the web use these two words interchangeably, but they are two very different things! Please listen carefully so that you understand the difference!

A Background is simply a picture. When you put it on your blog it acts like wallpaper. It just sits there and looks pretty (hopefully). Nothing more. These are great for people that don't want to any other design features changed on their blog OR, for people who do want to add other design features but want to add the features themselves. (Here's a list of all my backgrounds.)

A Template is a picture....and much more. All templates are different, but if you add a template from my blog, you will have not only a background image (wallpaper) but also a header, sometimes a Post Divider (cute graphic below your posts), matching font and font colors, a wider post section, sometimes a Post Icon (a little icon next to each post title), and many other little decorations for your blog. And when you follow the instructions and copy the code to your blog, everything gets put on for you! You don't have to do anything else but keep posting to your blog! (Here's a list of all my templates.)

When you think of it that way, it makes you wonder why you would ever just want a background. For me, it takes me ten times longer to make a template than it does to make a background. So naturally, I make more backgrounds. But for you, it's like I said above. Backgrounds are good for simple bloggers that don't want all the extra stuff or for those that want to add the features themselves.

I actually enjoy making the templates more than the backgrounds. It is a lot of fun but it really is a time issue for me. However, it is easier for me if I use the backgrounds already made and incorporate them into a template. So, if you have a background that you just love but want a little more with it, leave me a comment on that post or on this post telling me you want that background turned into a template. I'd love to make templates that people already are interested in!

Hope to hear your feedback!!


August 17, 2011

How to Shorten Long Posts

Have you seen blogs that cut off their posts on their main page and then have a link that says, "Read More"? I have one on my post about How to Make Your Own Blog Button. (If you click on this link it will bring you to the entire post but if you look at this post from the main page it will be shortened. It has a paragraph and then says, "Tutorial Here".)

I know it is irritating when you are browsing through someone's blog (including mine) and it takes forever to get down the main page because their posts are so long. I finally figured out how to shorten mine and will be doing so for all my long tutorials from now on. Do you want to know how?

I would write out a whole tutorial for you but Blogger already did, so here is the link and then I'll give you a few tips:


A few things I found:
  • I tried to add 'Jump Breaks' in my old posts and it didn't work. 
  • I found that I have to stick the line break in before typing any other text after. For example, if I were to stick my cursor after my first paragraph (after everything was already typed) it wouldn't put the break in when I publish my post. I would have to delete everything that comes after the jump, enter the jump, and then type it all in again.
Have you guys tried this already? What tips or questions do you have?


August 13, 2011

Green Notebook



2-Column
<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3Ebody%7Bbackground-image%3Aurl%28%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani.com/Crazy4Monograms/Green%20Notebook.jpg%20%22%29%3Bbackground-position%3Acenter%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20background-attachment%3A%20fixed%3B%7D%3C/style%3E%20%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute%3B%20left%3A0px%3Btop%3A30px%3B%20width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A50px%3B%22%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%20title%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani.com/tags/DaniBlacknWhite.png%22/%3E%20%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E"))</script>
 
  3-Column
<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3Ebody%7Bbackground-image%3Aurl%28%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani.com/Crazy4Monograms/Green%20Notebook_3Column.jpg%20%22%29%3Bbackground-position%3Acenter%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20background-attachment%3A%20fixed%3B%7D%3C/style%3E%20%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute%3B%20left%3A0px%3Btop%3A30px%3B%20width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A50px%3B%22%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%20title%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani/tags/DaniBlacknWhite.png%22/%3E%20%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E"))</script>

Design Elements by Crazy-4-Monograms
(from her kit called Class Act)

Matching Header

August 10, 2011

Flip Flops Header

Use with the background: Flip Flops



http://headers.blogdesignsbydani.com/SummertimeDesigns/FlipFlop%20Header.jpg

Design Elements by
Summertime Designs
(from her kit FlipFlopsicles)



August 6, 2011

Chalkboard Fun Header

Use with the background: Chalkboard Fun


http://headers.blogdesignsbydani.com/Crazy4Monograms/Chalkboard%20Fun%20Header.jpg

Design Elements by
Crazy-4-Monograms
(from her kit called Class Act)
and

Just So Scrappy
(from various kits)



August 3, 2011

Flip Flops



2-Column
<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3Ebody%7Bbackground-image%3Aurl%28%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani.com/SummertimeDesigns/FlipFlops.jpg%20%22%29%3Bbackground-position%3Acenter%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20background-attachment%3A%20fixed%3B%7D%3C/style%3E%20%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute%3B%20left%3A0px%3Btop%3A30px%3B%20width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A50px%3B%22%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%20title%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani.com/tags/DaniBlacknWhite.png%22/%3E%20%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E"))</script>
 
  3-Column
<script>document.write(unescape("%3Cstyle%20type%3D%22text/css%22%3Ebody%7Bbackground-image%3Aurl%28%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani.com/SummertimeDesigns/FlipFlops_3Column.jpg%20%22%29%3Bbackground-position%3Acenter%3B%20background-repeat%3A%20no-repeat%3B%20background-attachment%3A%20fixed%3B%7D%3C/style%3E%20%3Cdiv%20id%3D%22tag%22%20style%3D%22position%3Aabsolute%3B%20left%3A0px%3Btop%3A30px%3B%20width%3A150px%3B%20height%3A50px%3B%22%3E%3Ca%20target%3D%22_blank%22%20href%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%20title%3D%22http%3A//www.blogdesignsbydani.com%22%3E%3Cimg%20border%3D%220%22%20src%3D%22http%3A//backgrounds.blogdesignsbydani.com/tags/DaniBlacknWhite.png%22/%3E%20%3C/a%3E%3C/div%3E"))</script>

Design Elements by Summertime Designs
(from her kit called FlipFlopsicles)

Matching Header