Monday 18 May 2009

Customizing your Blog...

Who doesn't want a blingy blog I ask ya?

Just the few little changes I made to my blog on Friday night resulted in numerous compliments...Thanks guys!!!

I know that a lot of you out there are ahead of me on all these things (I can just tell from your beautiful blogs!) but, for those of you who still consider yourselves novices, here are my tips for the week. To insert a custom background into your header without spending more than you can afford on a web/blog designer or Photoshop Pro. Take a photo of one of your scrapbook layouts with a heap of emellishments on (or specially make a rectangular "layout" 'specially to photograph for your blog header).

Look at the size of your header & make something with the same proportions - measure your blog header manually on your computer screen if you would like to work exactly to scale! I never do that BTW - hardly ever measure a thing - (but then I worked for years making patterns & measuring up people & designing & fitting garments) that if I DO check my measurements I am usually out by less than half a millimetre - which is acceptable leeway in my book!

Once you have your custom design or the layout you are going to use you are ready to insert this BEHIND the text within your header, after clicking "Shrink to Fit". I have tried this a couple of times before without success as I was always trying to fit in standard sized photos &, once shrunk to fit, you can imagine they looked rather strange...If you are working with a photo or a photo of a layout you need to CROP it down to the correct/similar size (same ratio as your blog header/banner). In Picasa 3 this is easy as pie...

I only noticed, for the first time eva(!) when I was doing this that you can ENLARGE your title letters...pretty handy. Just keep clicking "Larger" or "Smaller" until you are happy with the result. So give it a try...it will certainly save you money & give your blog an instant lift!

One more interesting discovery I've made TODAY is that you can CHANGE THE TEXT of your blog - if you are not particularly enamoured with Blogger's options (not the greatest variety but hey, it's free so I'm not complaining!) Apparently it's easy - according to this article.

Well, quite honestly, I don't find anything particularly easy, especially if it's pc related, but this I could probably manage, if only I had the time!

9 comments:

Vicki said...

Looking good. Have done headers from photos and added the text afterwards in Picasa. Got a bit lazy at the mo and just done a freebie.

Cindy said...

Helen, this is gorgeous. love it, especially the header and the pinky tinge to the background. you have done well. i need to do it too as i am a bit over my striking green and blue but i am scared i will stuff it up, as like you, i am new to this internety thing!!. anyway, i love it.

Stefanie said...

Hey there
I usually make mine 660 by 200 pixels and that also works.

Love your new look though, great job!

Shayne said...

Love the new header - and good on you for passing on the tips i gave you! I never thought to do that, just assumed that people knew (i still don't t hink I know very much!)

Let's hope this comment posts .......

I think it's becoz you've a very full page and my dialup doesn't like the hard work it takes to download everything. Fussy darn connection.

Lynette Jacobs said...

I love the new header....but I am sorry to say, I can't get my head around this one. I would love to change my header...but am so scared that I am going to lose everything that is already on there.

Anita said...

I like your new look very much even though I never saw your old look LOL. Must really do something about mine.

Andrea said...

What a useful blog entry...thanks so much, I have been blogging a little longer then you have but have never managed to work this out so watch out for some fantastic new changes on my blog :-)
xxx
A

Jenny said...

Way too hard for me, but yours looks fantastic

jacki janse van rensburg said...

i love the new look, very good!