before
after
Vintage Photos
before
WordPress Blog Redesign
Name of Blog: Beanish and other languages I'm learning
Platform: WordPress.com with Custom CSS upgrade
The colors, pink and green were chosen by Kim at Beanish. She had given me sample artworks and some of the colors were pick from them. Originally she had chosen green and brown with pink as the third color. I had done a draft with brown and green but this pink and green version was finally chosen. The base template is Tarski which wasn't as easy as I thought but once I found what I needed to do, it wasn't bad at all.
WordPress does not allow widget/badge so in order to have twitter on your sidebar, you have to use the RSS widget to add the twitter feed. I added the twitter image, which I got from Randa Clay Design, by uploading the image onto WordPress and using the image link to place as a text widget and link it to Kim's Twitter Page. The background pattern is from Squidfingers which I changed the colors to match. Parts of the header graphic (the floral images) are from bittbox.
I did have a hard time deciding how the credit was to be layout - with or without graphics. I tried a few ways but decided just text with links was enough.
Kim was partial to a floral-like design so the background and the header has that element but I did try to make it subtle rather having it pop out. Plus the image of Kim's daughter is so cute, I rather not compete it with strong elements. I like the result and the bright green with the pink work so well together. The fonts does look slightly different on a PC but it still looks good.
After
Before
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Resources:
WordPress Theme - Tarski Forum
Background Patterns - Squidfingers
Hand-Drawn Decorative Elements (the floral images in the header) - bittbox
Twitter Graphic - Randa Clay Design
Font for the header - FreebooterScript (It's a TrueType font)
How to place twitter on your sidebar at WordPress.com
(Originally posted at she|designs, September 23, 2008)
Platform: WordPress.com with Custom CSS upgrade
The colors, pink and green were chosen by Kim at Beanish. She had given me sample artworks and some of the colors were pick from them. Originally she had chosen green and brown with pink as the third color. I had done a draft with brown and green but this pink and green version was finally chosen. The base template is Tarski which wasn't as easy as I thought but once I found what I needed to do, it wasn't bad at all.
WordPress does not allow widget/badge so in order to have twitter on your sidebar, you have to use the RSS widget to add the twitter feed. I added the twitter image, which I got from Randa Clay Design, by uploading the image onto WordPress and using the image link to place as a text widget and link it to Kim's Twitter Page. The background pattern is from Squidfingers which I changed the colors to match. Parts of the header graphic (the floral images) are from bittbox.
I did have a hard time deciding how the credit was to be layout - with or without graphics. I tried a few ways but decided just text with links was enough.
Kim was partial to a floral-like design so the background and the header has that element but I did try to make it subtle rather having it pop out. Plus the image of Kim's daughter is so cute, I rather not compete it with strong elements. I like the result and the bright green with the pink work so well together. The fonts does look slightly different on a PC but it still looks good.
After
Before
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Resources:
WordPress Theme - Tarski Forum
Background Patterns - Squidfingers
Hand-Drawn Decorative Elements (the floral images in the header) - bittbox
Twitter Graphic - Randa Clay Design
Font for the header - FreebooterScript (It's a TrueType font)
How to place twitter on your sidebar at WordPress.com
(Originally posted at she|designs, September 23, 2008)
Blog Redesign
The redesign is finally finished. I hope everyone likes it. I used a template from Our Blogger Templates. They are currently running a contest to showcase blog designs using their templates. I thought it would be a good idea to enter and so here is my entry and some notes about the redesign.
At first I thought about a 3-columns blog but then thought it was too much combined with the top link bar. I always prefer open space and not have too many sections. I wanted the black and white color scheme and that's why I picked the Inspiration template but eventually decided against it.
The Inspiration template is a well-formed, 3-column template, which I can easily change the colors of the text and the backgrounds and such. But it has too many variables, too many sections and columns. I know it's partly my fault for picking this particular template - I could have pick any of their two column template instead, but it's too late since I already make too many changes to this one. And so instead of changing templates, I decided to stick with this one. If I ever want to make it 3 column later on, I can easily added another column. I did try out the other 3-column templates before deciding on Inspiration.
The Inspiration Template
I wanted something tailor to the subject - design and photography - but make it easy on the eye and at least not too serious or too girly. See the original version, (it's not the original version since I've already changed the template a few times but it has a similar look to this new version.)
I've made a large amount of changes - two columns instead of 3, different sizes of the post and sidebar columns, colors of the link bar and colors of the post title, sidebar titles, etc. I also change the position of the template credit, only because it didn't look right being in the center now that it's a slightly different format but it is intact. I hope that is find with Our Blogger Templates.
Since I had to take out the third column, I had to change the spacing between the post and the sidebar. I like having more space in between the post section and the sidebar items anyhow. It wasn't so hard to get the sizing right.
I did have a problem with the editing tool (the one with the pencil graphic) not showing up but after I revert the widget to the templates default, they show up again.
Honestly, I could have just used the previous version to get to this look but I wasn't really sure what I wanted until I saw some of the templates at Our Blogger Templates. I don't remember how I found the site but I think it was through a Google search.
I could have been easily be satisfied with just installing any template and changing a few things but I didn't. I like to customize any way that I can but don't really know all the technical stuff and that's why ready-made templates like those at Our Blogger Templates comes in handy. I can use any of their templates and customized to my liking and the best part is, they're free. They also have tutorials and helpful links to help you along.
This blog and the template will probably stay this way for a while but it's more likely I will change the template again in the future. This is a fairly new blog so there are bound to be changes along the way. But so far, I like the results.
The Final Version
At first I thought about a 3-columns blog but then thought it was too much combined with the top link bar. I always prefer open space and not have too many sections. I wanted the black and white color scheme and that's why I picked the Inspiration template but eventually decided against it.
The Inspiration template is a well-formed, 3-column template, which I can easily change the colors of the text and the backgrounds and such. But it has too many variables, too many sections and columns. I know it's partly my fault for picking this particular template - I could have pick any of their two column template instead, but it's too late since I already make too many changes to this one. And so instead of changing templates, I decided to stick with this one. If I ever want to make it 3 column later on, I can easily added another column. I did try out the other 3-column templates before deciding on Inspiration.
The Inspiration Template
I wanted something tailor to the subject - design and photography - but make it easy on the eye and at least not too serious or too girly. See the original version, (it's not the original version since I've already changed the template a few times but it has a similar look to this new version.)
I've made a large amount of changes - two columns instead of 3, different sizes of the post and sidebar columns, colors of the link bar and colors of the post title, sidebar titles, etc. I also change the position of the template credit, only because it didn't look right being in the center now that it's a slightly different format but it is intact. I hope that is find with Our Blogger Templates.
Since I had to take out the third column, I had to change the spacing between the post and the sidebar. I like having more space in between the post section and the sidebar items anyhow. It wasn't so hard to get the sizing right.
I did have a problem with the editing tool (the one with the pencil graphic) not showing up but after I revert the widget to the templates default, they show up again.
Honestly, I could have just used the previous version to get to this look but I wasn't really sure what I wanted until I saw some of the templates at Our Blogger Templates. I don't remember how I found the site but I think it was through a Google search.
I could have been easily be satisfied with just installing any template and changing a few things but I didn't. I like to customize any way that I can but don't really know all the technical stuff and that's why ready-made templates like those at Our Blogger Templates comes in handy. I can use any of their templates and customized to my liking and the best part is, they're free. They also have tutorials and helpful links to help you along.
This blog and the template will probably stay this way for a while but it's more likely I will change the template again in the future. This is a fairly new blog so there are bound to be changes along the way. But so far, I like the results.
The Final Version
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