Changing To Blogger Template Designer For Three Columns And Tabs

I converted my Blogger template to 3 columns in 12/2008, using instructions from somewhere on the web.  This month I decided I wanted TABS.  Yesterday I found the easiest way for me to get the tabs, without the hassle of editing on the actual HTML template, was to convert to the Blogger Template Designer, in effect as of 03/2010.  You will see what I mean if you open the HTML Tab and take a look!

I created a Page layout (the Page will give you one Tab plus your Home Tab) first by clicking on Posting, Pages, and New Page.  I created a listing page - Tutorials - and then listed my tutorials.

I found it was helpful to remember these features about Template Designer when using it:

• My blog was always visible below the area where I was working so I could see what it would look like before I saved it.
• I could even view it in a separate window or tab before I saved.
• I should always save it when I liked what I saw before going to another step.

There are some other neat features too, as you will see:

STEP 1. Saved CURRENT TEMPLATE (just in case I screwed up) by:

• Going to the EDIT HTML tab
• Click on the DOWNLOAD FULL TEMPLATE (Upper Right Hand Corner)
• A pop up will ask whether to Open With or Save - Click on Open With and write down the location as you see it at the top of the window, so you can erase it when you are done.

STEP 2. Click on TEMPLATE DESIGNER TAB to the right:

• You will be in TEMPLATES TAB area on the left. 
• On the RIGHT I picked SIMPLE. 
• Click on APPLY TO BLOG (Bright Orange in upper right-hand corner) The Orange will turn Grey.
• Do this each time you make a change. You can check out what you do by looking at your blog below.

Step 3.  Next I went to the BACKGROUND TAB:

• Since I have a White BG in the Simple format, I don't need to pick a background. It says not applicable. 

Step 4. Click on the LAYOUT TAB:

• The first selection choice to your right is BODY LAYOUT. The second row first choice is 3 COLUMN (with the TEXT in the middle). Just what I wanted. Click on APPLY TO BLOG (Bright Orange in upper right-hand corner) It will turn Grey.
• Next you choose your FOOTER LAYOUT. I chose the first one for now. You can always change any of these BTW. 
• Click on APPLY TO BLOG (Bright Orange in upper right-hand corner) It will turn Grey. 

STEP 5. CLICK ON ADJUST WIDTHS (This is for Your Header and Sidebars):

• The top"Bar" allows you to pick the ENTIRE BLOG WIDTH. 
• I chose 1000 px. 3 columns takes a lot of space when you consider widget widths, etc. 
• Click on APPLY TO BLOG (Bright Orange in upper right-hand corner) It will turn Grey. 
• Next you are selecting the LEFT and RIGHT sidebars (that hold your widgets, etc.) I chose 250px for each side-bar columns.
• Click on APPLY TO BLOG (Bright Orange in upper right-hand corner) It will turn Grey. 

STEP 6. HEADER (BANNER):

• My Header was totally over to the LEFT HAND MARGIN and nothing worked to get it in the middle (resizing, etc.) If you have this problem here is one way to solve it. 
• This is the code that lets you ADJUST HEADER TO CENTER 
• Left Click and drag cursor over code, right click and select Copy in the drop down:

.header-inner .widget {
margin-left: 180px;
margin-right: 30px;}

• This is where you paste it: 
• click on ADVANCED. 
• In the next column go down to and click on ADD CSS. 
• Just below where it says "Add CSS", in the white area, RIGHT click and Paste. 
• Click on APPLY TO BLOG (Bright Orange in upper right-hand corner) It will turn Grey. 
• Look below to see where your Header is located. 
• Adjust the 180px you see UP or DOWN until your header is centered. It can even be a -180, etc., if that works. One person had used 240. It all depends on the width of your Header. Be sure to follow the code format though or it won't work at all. 
• You can see what happens each time by looking at your blog below. When you have it right, click on APPLY TO BLOG (Bright Orange in upper right-hand corner) It will turn Grey.

STEP 7. Your Widgets In Your Sidebars:

• You may notice Blogger has moved your widgets, etc. in your sidebars around.
• Just go to the Design Tab, you should also be in Page Elements 
• Move your widgets, etc. in your side-bars where you want them. As I moved mine I clicked on the Orange Save button up to the right near the top.

Step 8.  Now About Those TABS:

• Go to TABS TEXT and pick out your text.  (You will notice that each area you are working on will show bright orange dots so you can see what your are changing.) 
• Go to TABS BACKGROUND to pick that out.  For each one when I had what I wanted I clicked on the Orange Save button up to the right near the top

When you want, you can go back to the Template Designer and finish choosing your FONTS and COLORS for all of the areas for your blog. I'm tired right now, aren't you?  LOL  It's kind of fun if you just do it one step at a time. If you have questions, please email me. I will try to help. Thanks for stopping by to look and share!

 Shirley

Twinkling H2O's Are Still With Us

I don't have a card today, but I do have some information.  Several people have emailed me over time about H2O's.  Here is the scoop.  The developer, Leslie Ohnstad, is not currently selling them.  Creative Imaginations is doing that for her.  You may wonder why I have kept up with this.  Well, I have a life time supply of the older H2O's and I plan on using them.  CI sent me some of the new and they are wonderful and I use them too.  I love watercolor and the shades and hues you can get and there is nothing like looking at a piece of art that SHIMMERS!!!

The difference is that their colors tend to be more vibrant and they do not have as many colors available.  Here are your choices currently:

Petite Twinkling H20's - (6) 5gm pots in a package (6 different packs available) - If you Google you will find the different prices being asked for them.  I always do that when buying anything.  I either bring them up in separate tabs to compare, or put them in a folder until I decide.  I also look at shipping.  A lot of times you can get free shipping depending on the amount of purchase.

Grand Twinkling H2O's - Sold individually in 10gm pots (24 colors) -  As for prices, I suggest Googling as above.

Radiant Rain Shimmering Mists - 22 colors -  Same suggestion on pricing as above.

Radiant Rain Concentrate - 24 colors (Daubers) - Same suggestion on pricing as above.

WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE between the NEW and the other twinks:

1.  The colors are more vibrant.   People have commented on the disappointment by fewer colors.  Watercolors are generally deeper pigment color.  For people doing true watercolor,  you don't need all of the different colors.  You simply wet your surface for that color first with clear water and then add your color to the shade you want.  I use 2 Niji watercolor brushes to paint.  One is clear water and the other I use for colors.  I clean my brush on left over scratch paper or on a Kleenex, depending.  I don't spray my pots.  I always thought that was messy when just watercoloring, but that's another lesson.  (The important thing to remember is you have one deep color that can be many shades, light to dark, of the same color).

2.  The Mists and the Concentrates -  They have gorgeous mists and, JMO, I would use the daubers for anything where they used "spray the pots".  LOLOLOL  The daubers are wonderful too.

Here are some blogs, etc. where you can see artists using these current products:

1.  Coloring With Twinkling H2Os

2.  Luminarte by Creative Imaginations

3.  Scraptime

4.  Twinkling Stamped Images

5.  Coloring with Twinkling H2Os

6.  Twinkling H20s Over Copics

7. Coloration mit Twinkling H2O  Okay, so it's in German. The point is she watercolors like I do!!!! If you have wondered about watercolor, this is a pretty good idea of how it's done for cards. I use Neenah Classic Crest Solar White Super Smooth 80lb. for most of my watercolor when rubber stamping.  I have an email into Neenah.  I noticed since I last ordered the Super Smooth that anything related is listed as Digital.  I have asked if it's the same and will let you know, for anyone interested.

8.  Ruffled Card Birthday Wishes

9.  You Are Amazing Another good example of watercolor.

10.  Stamping With A Whiff Of Joy - A lot of their cards are painted with Twinkling H2Os.


That's what I have for today, everyone. Thanks for stopping by to look and share.  Have a great weekend!!!

 

 Shirley

 

Easy Twisted Easel Card Tutorial

I was blog hopping and saw this beautiful Twisted Easel Card at Marti's Essence of Paper blog.  That link referred me to Margaret's I Love Crafting blog to view her video on how to do this A2 (4.25x5.5) easel card.  After I watched the video, I had a picture of what I wanted to post here.  A simple picture tutorial for a quick fold A2 Twisted Easel Card.  I want to thank both Martie and Margaret for inspiring me and teaching me how to do it too!!

1.  Trim a piece of white 8.5"X11" cardstock to 8.5"X9.75". 
2.  Cut that into 2 pieces of 4.25"X9.75".  Now you have enough for 2 card bases.

 
3.  Score your piece at 5.5" on Score-Pal, leaving one end as 4.25"X4.25" (a square).

4.  At the 5.5"X4.25 scored line, line your piece diagonally and score point to point as shown, on the 4.25"X4.25" side.  Fold the corner on the upper right to the bottom left of the same 4.25"X4.25" square and it will make a triangle when you fold it.

5.  Unfold the corner and turn the card so it is folded like above.  The unfolded square will be on top and the 4.25"X5.5" rectangle will be on the bottom.  Tape the bottom right-hand triangle as shown.

  

6.  Prepare your card front and base.  Both will measure 4.25" by 5.5" as shown above

Card Front & Base Supplies:
Stamps - Hero Arts - CG115 Thank You; Impression Obsession B3568 Thinking Of You (Red Rubber) or All Occasion I (Clear Stamp Set) and Cover-A-Card^TM CC008 Thick & Thin (Red Rubber Cling 5.75"X5.75"
Card Stock:  Neenah Classic White Solar Crest 80lb.
Inks - Brilliance Galaxy Gold, StazOn Blazing Red and Olive Green; Twinkling H2O's Ruby Red and Olive Green
Accessories - Michaels Ribbon, Making Memories Heat Pin, Mark Richards Pearl stickers, faux dew drops from the florist part of Michaels.

7.  Look at the image in STEP 5.  Place your card front directly on top so it covers the whole square and rectangle and press down.  Lift up the top from the right hand side and it should look like my card at the top.

How I Prepared My Base For The Twist:
A.  (You need to decide what you are going to use to stop the Card Front after it is opened - Buttons, Pearls, Cardstock on Pop dots, etc.)  I wanted to leave enough room so I could write a short message.   I decided to use part of the main image.  I opened the Cardfront until the bottom left and corner was even with the base top edge.  I marked along the bottom of the cardfront (lightly) with a pencil.  The pieces were mounted with glue as shown and the line erased.


Honestly, putting this tutorial together was more work than the card.  LOLOL  Then Google took everything down and I was ready to pull my hair out!!!!!  Yesterday, around 4 pm, I sent them a message with my site address and in about an hour it was back.   Don't think I didn't thank them.  Another thanks to Marti and Margaret for their inspiring me.

I hope you try this.  It really is a cool and fun fold.  Thanks for stopping by to look and say hi!

 Shirley

A Quick And Easy Trellis Card

I needed a quick card for a friend and while blog hopping saw a "Trellis Card".  I saved the site so I could give credit.  Then after I did the card I promptly deleted the site.  :-(  I forget what it is you lose first as you get older?  LOLOL  I searched for it for 30 minutes with no luck, even using Google!  I remember that I had loved finding that blog and decided to 'Follow' it.  So if I recently visited your blog and commented on your trellis card, please let me know so I can give you credit for inspiring me.  :-)

The card was made from leftovers.  The image was done at least a year ago, cut out and layered.  It is Hero Arts Red Rubber Cling Bouquet In A Vase stamped with Brilliance Galaxy Gold on Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 80lb. cardstock, and painted with Twinkling H2O's Black Orchid, Mallard Green, and Warm Pecan.  The centers are done with Stickles Yellow.  The ribbon is May Arts.

The Trellis base background behind the bouquet was done using Spellbinders Lacey and Large Circle dies on the same cardstock and put through my Cuttlebug.  The weaving was done using 'white scraps' hoarded from way back when for who knows what!!!

The tag was done using a Spellbinders Blossom die on the Burgundy linen cardstock, a white acrylic tag and Impression-Obsession's new Clear Stamp Set All Occasions I stamped with StazOn Forest Green, and yellow rhinestone stickers. It was tied on with leftover gold cord.

The background paper was, I think, bought on sale at Michaels years ago.  I had cut it up for who knows what and it was stored in a box with other pieces I have waiting for a card!  The matte around that is Neenah Classic Crest Linen Burgundy.  The embellishments are leftover rhinestone stickers and a heart charm bought from Fancifuls, Inc.  The faux stitch was done with an SU marker.

Everything was mounted as shown with either my ATG tape gun or 3D pop dots.

I am finding more time to blog hop and love seeing all of your creations too!  Thanks for stopping by to look and share!!

 Shirley