I have to confess. We are struggling over every last detail of our blog's new look. As you can see, we had some problems in the process. Expect to see more changes around here for a while yet.
While this one would load, it only partly would fit, so we are having to tweak and alter it, little by little, until it comes around to feeling, looking and operating just as we were shooting for.
It isn't as easy as it looks. For one thing, there are ratios which can be very hard to discern. It isn't as simple as making your blog background image of a certain height or width. In jpg or otherwise, it can really try a person's patience. In particular, there is the idea that can go into a blog's look but which may not look well enough on each browser currently running. The odd thing of it is, the color spectrum looks different from browser to browser--oh, and from screen to screen as well! What looks the right color combo on my desktop may look atrocious to someone's laptop or home screen. In the details, there are several ideas that would not fit and that we find out now may never have worked at all. In addition, there is the trickiness to proportion, via those ratios we mentioned. Where to fit each detail so it will show up on any screen becomes the lesson plan.
We were given a leg up by one of our fave bloggers, The Graphics Fairy, whose Background Fairy extension to her regular blog has a lot of the answers we were looking for.
Size and scale do matter, so much so it can be a real relief to have everything fit. When we get it down to a simple enough formulaic type of deal, we hope to be able to share our findings with you, our readers.
We have been at it for about 2 months already with this one blog's design. We've tackled all manner of sticky situations in the process. I can't begin to tell you just how many failed attempts there are behind the one you see now--and even it won't suffice. It is easy to spot its main flaw, having to do with alignment.
Not to sound overly fussy, but it really matters in a blog's overall look.
Also, we had hoped to continue with our original layout of 3 columns, which was wider, more spacious, and offered more chances for people's links to be found easily enough. Now, you have to scroll down a ways, and that, to us, is less pleasing. (A matter of personal taste which may not matter to many of our visitors, but we have to confess it, so there it is.) (Personally, I kinda like the appearance of this configuration) It may require that we install some new gadgetry to make this site more navigable. If that's what it takes to keep things running smoothly, then that will be our new mission.
As to the header, it won't come till after our alignment problem is over. This is due to the fact that the size of the blog in its entirety may have to go through at least one more revision, if not several, so any initial banner may not fit our revised sizes.
So, one way or another, we hope to keep blogging through any changes necessary--and there might have to be several, perhaps a dozen or more, before it all will be finally as it needs to be--or, rather, more up to snuff.
WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL.
Happy Creativity from all of us to all of you!!!
Rose
While this one would load, it only partly would fit, so we are having to tweak and alter it, little by little, until it comes around to feeling, looking and operating just as we were shooting for.
It isn't as easy as it looks. For one thing, there are ratios which can be very hard to discern. It isn't as simple as making your blog background image of a certain height or width. In jpg or otherwise, it can really try a person's patience. In particular, there is the idea that can go into a blog's look but which may not look well enough on each browser currently running. The odd thing of it is, the color spectrum looks different from browser to browser--oh, and from screen to screen as well! What looks the right color combo on my desktop may look atrocious to someone's laptop or home screen. In the details, there are several ideas that would not fit and that we find out now may never have worked at all. In addition, there is the trickiness to proportion, via those ratios we mentioned. Where to fit each detail so it will show up on any screen becomes the lesson plan.
We were given a leg up by one of our fave bloggers, The Graphics Fairy, whose Background Fairy extension to her regular blog has a lot of the answers we were looking for.
Size and scale do matter, so much so it can be a real relief to have everything fit. When we get it down to a simple enough formulaic type of deal, we hope to be able to share our findings with you, our readers.
We have been at it for about 2 months already with this one blog's design. We've tackled all manner of sticky situations in the process. I can't begin to tell you just how many failed attempts there are behind the one you see now--and even it won't suffice. It is easy to spot its main flaw, having to do with alignment.
Not to sound overly fussy, but it really matters in a blog's overall look.
Also, we had hoped to continue with our original layout of 3 columns, which was wider, more spacious, and offered more chances for people's links to be found easily enough. Now, you have to scroll down a ways, and that, to us, is less pleasing. (A matter of personal taste which may not matter to many of our visitors, but we have to confess it, so there it is.) (Personally, I kinda like the appearance of this configuration) It may require that we install some new gadgetry to make this site more navigable. If that's what it takes to keep things running smoothly, then that will be our new mission.
As to the header, it won't come till after our alignment problem is over. This is due to the fact that the size of the blog in its entirety may have to go through at least one more revision, if not several, so any initial banner may not fit our revised sizes.
So, one way or another, we hope to keep blogging through any changes necessary--and there might have to be several, perhaps a dozen or more, before it all will be finally as it needs to be--or, rather, more up to snuff.
A way big THANK YOU!!!!!!!!
TO EVERYBODY FOR PUTTING UP WITH OUR CHANGES SO GRACIOUSLY!!!WE APPRECIATE YOU ALL.
Happy Creativity from all of us to all of you!!!
Rose
12 comments:
I think this is very attractive. I love the coloring. You just take all the time you need and we'll just keep visiting and loving your images. Happy Sunday to you.
Thanks, Mina!!!!! We appreciate your feedback!
;)
Oh gosh, I can't count the number of changes I've gone through the years with my blog. You'll get it all worked out eventually! Just enjoy the process....I do like the three columns..I had that until I went totally horizontal with everything. Thanks for coming over for a visit!
Pink Sparkles,
Stephanie ♥
The new design is looking really nice--goes well with your images!
Stephanie: You are a darling! Thanks so much for your encouragement and understanding!
Rose
Collage whirl: Thanks!!! :)
Too bad it's not as nice in every browser currently running! :(
And the color variations from browser to browser really can surprise--not necessarily in a nice way.
But we're learning!
Rose
ohhhhhhhh..i think it's beautiful!!! It fits you so well!! i must admit..i didn't understand any of your explaination of what you were doing..whatever you did..you did it fabulously!!!! xo
Thank you, my dear!!! It is humbling being new at this sort of thing. That we're not really finished with this design or the better fit says it all.
xo
Hi,
I think it looks great!
I have been trying to play with designing a 2nd page but haven't quite gotten there yet.
I guess I should be happy I got the main format down.
One good thing is once you have it...keep a copy and you will always have it.
*hugs*
mo
I'm taking a chance, trying to leave a comment, with all the changes Blogger is instigating at the moment, so this may not work. Do contact me if you need blog tweaks or design help (I did Stephanie's to her exact specs) as if I don't know something, I can at least point you in the right direction.
Hugs from the UK.
Mo: There is no second page here that hasn't been "under construction for weeks and weeks," LOL! We'll get there eventually, I'm guessing. And we think of your blog as being particularly good, both in design and content. You've got it down, my friend, and we're only aspiring, so your support is treasured.
Thank you for your tender support and fostering nature. We think of you quite often.
Fondly,
Rose
Greetings, Susie from the UK!
Thank you for your kind offer. It and you are appreciated.
Our tweaking schedule is quite extensive. Are you sure you would really like to go there? ;)
For the time being, we are simply going to leave up what we have here already, just until it can be remedied by a little redesign, which may include our asking for a few words of advice now and again. The basics of design for it did change up a lot, and may have to be reborn in some new way. But we're also working on a learning curve with regards to PSE8, soon to switch into using our actual CS5 programming instead.
So lots to learn!
;)
Hugs from the US to you!
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