"Winter Wonderland Accessories" - free Blogger post title and post divider

The code below will insert a cute post title image and a post divider into your layout.  They coordinate with the Winter Wonderland and Winter Wonderland 2 layouts.

<style type="text/css">.post-footer {background: url(http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad53/dawnsdesignshop/SD%20Winter/postdivider.gif);background-repeat: no-repeat;background-position: top center;padding: 50px 0 0 0;}</style><style type="text/css">.post { border-bottom:none; }</style><style type="text/css">.post h3 {background:url(http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad53/dawnsdesignshop/SD%20Winter/posttitelimage-1.gif) no-repeat center left;padding: 30px 10px 25px 55px;margin-top: .25em;margin-left: 0px;margin-bottom: 0px;</style>

The images look like this:

"Winter Wonderland 2" - free Blogger layout

This layout is so cute! It's made with Summer Driggs's Winter Wonderland kit.  Also, there is a small accessory package available here.

"Winter Wonderland" - free Blogger layout

This layout is so cute! It's made with Summer Driggs's Winter Wonderland kit.  Also, there is a small accessory package available here.

"winter blessings" - free Blogger layout

This layout was made using the Winter Blessings kit from Country Graphics.  Too cute!

"four seasons - winter" - free Blogger layout

This is the second in the Four Seasons series.

"Choose Your Colors 2" - priced Blogger layout

This layout costs $25.  Click on the image to be taken to a full view and see this link for more information on priced layouts.  (I don't know why, but this image isn't loading to a full view when clicked on.  I'll try to fix that later.)

In this layout you can choose three colors: one for everywhere you see gray, white, and black.  For help in choosing just.the.right color, see this color chart.   When sending in your order form questionnaire please include the color codes you selected along with which you want to substitute for black and which for gray.

"Choose Your Colors" - priced Blogger layout

This layout costs $25.  Click on the image to be taken to a full view and see this link for more information on priced layouts.  (I don't know why, but this image isn't loading to a full view when clicked on.  I'll try to fix that later.)

In this layout you can choose two colors: one for everywhere you see gray and one for everywhere you see black.  For help in choosing just.the.right color, see this color chart.   When sending in your order form questionnaire please include the two color codes you selected along with which you want to substitute for black and which for gray.

"chocolate" - free Blogger layout

This layout is from Lisa's Chocolate Comfort mini kit.  I really just love working with her kits.  Be sure to stop by her blog Aprilisa Designs and leave a compliment and a thank you for the use of her kit.

"Pretty in Purple" - free Blogger layout

This layout is from Lisa's Chocolate Comfort mini kit.  I really just love working with her kits.  Be sure to stop by her blog Aprilisa Designs and leave a compliment and a thank you for the use of her kit.

"Thanksgiving" - free Blogger sidebar buttons

These buttons were made using Summer Driggs's "Thanks for Giving" kit. Too cute! Check out my Thanksgiving layouts for more buttons.

<a href="http://www.almostreadyblogs.com" target="_blank" title="Almost Ready Blogs"><img src="http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad53/dawnsdesignshop/SD%20Thanksgiving/Gobblebutton.jpg" border="0" width="125" height="125" alt="Almost Ready Blogs" /></a><br/> BUTTON ELEMENTS FROM <a href="http://summertimedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanks-for-giving-kit.html">SUMMER DRIGGS</a>

<a href="http://www.almostreadyblogs.com" target="_blank" title="Almost Ready Blogs"><img src="http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad53/dawnsdesignshop/SD%20Thanksgiving/Stuffedbutton.jpg" border="0" width="125" height="125" alt="Almost Ready Blogs" /></a><br/> BUTTON ELEMENTS FROM <a href="http://summertimedesigns.blogspot.com/2009/11/thanks-for-giving-kit.html">SUMMER DRIGGS</a>

"Fall Flowers" - free Blogger layout

This layout is from Summer Driggs's Thanks for Giving kit.  It is loaded with nice papers and elements!  She did a great job with this one.

Custom orders coming after the new year starts!

I've added premade layouts this week and will be adding full custom orders some time in January.  I'll be announcing a give away at that time so be on the lookout for it if you've been wanting a custom design.  Also, if you're reading this in a reader and have time to click through and check out the new design here (and maybe give feedback??) then I would greatly appreciate it. 

Have a great Monday!

Adding a perimeter border in PSE 7.

Alright folks, here's the deal:  I sometimes make things way.too.hard when working in Photoshop.  (I use Elements 7, which, by the way, I heard is on sale at Costco by way of a $30 off coupon.  In store, methinks, but not too sure. At any rate, it comes out to about $40 or $50 bucks after the rebate...) 

Back to making things too hard.  I won't even begin to tell you the trouble I've been going through when I want to add a border around the perimeter of an image. It's all too shocking and embarassing.  Today, though, I hit upon a very simple way of doing it.  On the off chance that you'd benefit from this knowledge, I'm going to share.

1. Create a new transparent layer and move it to the top of all the other layers.
2. Making sure the new layer is active/highlighted, go to the Select menu and choose All.
3. Make sure your foreground color is your chosen border color.
4. Go to Edit > Stroke/Outline Selection > choose pixel width, double check color choice > OK.

For the sake of all that is good, please don't tell me how you've known this since even before you owned Photoshop.  My ego is too fragile.  Enjoy!

"so lovely" - priced Blogger layout

This layout costs $25.  Click on the image to be taken to a full view and see this link for more information on priced layouts.

I must be getting something right!!

Shabby Blogs is a great place to find free backgrounds and accessories.  I hopped over there today to see what's new and they have some sidebar buttons very similar to these that I put out recently.  I'm stoked about this because it means I must be doing something right!  In fact, don't you think those two black frames ARE the same frame??  Cool, huh?  I feel like I must know a thing or two.  (Just humor me, kay?)

MINE:



THEIRS:

"owlies" - free Blogger layout

I really like how this came out.  Too cute!!

"cappuccino" - free blogger layout

This layout was made from the Cappu-tea-no kit at Aprilisa Designs.  If you like it please be sure to drop by and compliment her on such a cute (and free!) kit.  I am so glad Lisa gave me permission to make layouts with her kits.  They are so easy and enjoyable to work with. 

"falling for fall" - free blogger layout

This layout was made using the Falling for Fall kit from Summertime Designs.  I really like the blue with the fall colors.  Enjoy!

"retro tree" - free CU layered template

This is my first commercial use product!!  I created this to use in my Four Seasons layouts.  I wanted to have something that I had clear rights to do whatever I want to with! I can't let it go unused in my files so here you go!  Click title above preview image for download. 

"retro tree" - free CU

"four seasons - fall" - free Blogger layout

This is one in a series of four layouts that cover each season.

"this blog est." - free Blogger sidebar buttons

<a href="http://www.almostreadyblogs.com" target="_blank" title="free Blogger layouts"><img src="http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad53/dawnsdesignshop/Established%20Buttons/2010.gif" border="0" width="150" height="258" alt="Almost Ready Blogs" /></a>

Making some changes.

I'm going to yank the priced layouts.  I had talked about making them in order to use up some commercial use products I have sitting in my files.  I think, though, that I can make very similar products myself and then make free layouts with them.  I will probably then give those items I create as free commercial use products for other designers to use.

Amanda at Beautiful Blog Designs hosted a give away with my fall priced layout. I will forward the codes to those winners some time today (I hope today!).

Another change I am making is offering some packages for customizing the free layouts.  More information on that later today (hopefully today, anyway).

A Frog's Life

I made this layout for a friend of mine.  Her blog is titled "A Frog's Life".  She loves it!! 

"wine" - free blogger layout

A friend of mine has just started an in-home wine tasting business.  I asked for her business card and made this layout to match for her.  Feel free to visit her website at Time Out Wine.  Enjoy the layout!

"happy thanskgiving!" - free blogger sidebar button

This button is part of my Thanksgiving layout. I decided to give it its own post, too, since it's a seasonal item.




<a href="http://almostreadyblogs.com/" target="_blank" title="free & priced Blogger layouts"><img border="0" width="125" alt="Almost Ready Blogs" src="http://i921.photobucket.com/albums/ad53/dawnsdesignshop/thanksgiving/button.gif" height="125"/></a>

"thanksgiving" - free Blogger layout

I think this is a cute layout.  I like the background by itself, too, even if it was used alone and not part of the overall Thanksgiving layout.  I didn't put any green in the button just in case someone grabbed the button only.  I thought the cream, orange, and brown was Thanksgivingish enough, KWIM?  Enjoy and leave a comment if you use this layout.  I would LOVE to see it getting some use. Without the button it would even be great for a recipe blog.

Thanksgiving Sneak Peek

So far I've only got a header.  I've been trying to figure out the background but with no luck.  Maybe tomorrow???

"four seasons" - priced blogger layout

UPDATE 11/04/09:  This priced layout is no longer available.  I will be making a similar one soon which will be for free!  See the new free version here.

At $5 each you can afford to update your blog's look every time the weather changes!!  (More seasons coming soon.)

Four Seasons - Fall
$5

"charcoal damask" - free blogger layout

I love this layout!  So classy.  I bought some bathroom items at Target and the logo for their HOME line inspired this layout and colors.  Enjoy!

The "charcoal damask" pattern is from Jen at Pixels & Ice Cream.  I love just about everything she gives out (free!!) for designers to use in their personal and commercial projects.

priced layouts coming soon!

Because sometimes you can't even GIVE things away. Literally. It's against designers' terms of use. I just have some really cute commercial use stuff sitting in my file folders that I want to use!! But don't worry... the layouts won't be expensive. I *might* even get one up tonight.