Website under construction

I confess it's always kind of bothered me that, as much as I loved loved loved the re-design Julia from Little Girl Quilts did for my blog, it felt too close to the Orla Keily original designs and I feel like I need to come up with something of my own for my own blog.  But I have no idea how to do that so, in the meantime, I'll be playing around with the look of the blog and would love your input and suggestions.  Please also let me know if any of you know how to use any freely available software to design some kind of simple design for my header and buttons and icons.  I just don't know where to start and I don't have photoshop or any of those programmes.  Here's my new trial blog header for the time being anyway:

Trial blog header

Comments

  1. I love the tree but I think I would like a tree on both sides, maybe in a dif. colorway? The 2 images just clash to me. Otherwise tho its very modern and unique and I like it.

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  2. Love that tree Lynne and Tiffany’s idea to put one on the right is great. I should make the trees a bit bigger and the text a bit smaller.

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  3. my sister is very tech savvy. I am going to forward her your blog. But I like your new header.

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  4. looks like you are doing not bad ................looks good

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  5. I don't have much input about blog design, but I do want to comment that your blog is one of the best quilting blogs out there. I really appreciate all the work you put into your tutorials and have gotten so much inspiration for my own quilting. It's so much fun to read a blog where creativity - not selling - is the main focus. So, thanks!

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  6. Love the new look already. I have been contemplating changing my blog because when I set it up I had hardly started reading blogs let alone had any idea what look I wanted. And I really don't like the way it looks now! So I will be following your progress with interest.

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  7. There a few free open source programs you can download. Inkscape is quite good as is Open Office and the Draw part of it. Both of these packages let you create graphics and work with photos to create things for blogs (as well as other things)

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  8. Uh Oh. I surely hope you have better luck than I ever did with a webpage. I finally just threw in the towel.

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  9. I like it, and it is undeniably yours.

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  10. You can try picnik -- http://www.picnik.com/ -- which is all online/no download. I haven't used it but it looks friendly.

    I like the tree!

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  11. Hiya Lynne, I used powerpoint for mine, which comes as part of the office suite since I used it at work all the time. Otherwise I've heard good things about Picnik too, but never tried it. One thing I've learnt, if you type in "Free fonts" on google you will see just how many fonts there are to choose from (millions!) They are quite easy to download and install and mean that you can give your blog a unique look... give me a shout if you need any help!

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  12. Hi Lynne, I like the new design and I can imagine your dilemma: you're right. It should be you and completely YOU.
    I don't know much and this tutorial is maybe not what you mean; better safe than sorry:
    http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/2011/06/blog-banner-tutorial.html

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  13. I love the tree, but the header feels a bit too symmetrical this way, as it is not well enough separated from the rest of the page which is not symmetrical (and shouldn't be, at that).

    Regarding software, Stitched Together is right: Inkscape is absolutely great for vector graphics. I use it a lot, it's easy to handle and produces very smooth curves. If you need something of the Photoshop type, try the Gimp, which is also Open Source and kinda the bitmappy sibling of Inkscape.

    If you have technical questions beyond the graphics part, like about HTML, CSS or related stuff, maybe I can help you out. I'm a webdesigner by profession.

    All the best
    Ursula

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  14. I like it already! I want to re do my banner but despite having photoshop I don't know where to start. I'd ask my other half to help but if he did it he'd probably cover everything in camo and regimental badges lol

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  15. This is something I have been pondering for a while - I like the headers that reflect the blogger's own work, you know, like rolled up quilts etc....your little trees are instantly recognisable now.............think there is a lot of free stuff out there if you have the time to trawl thro.

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  16. Great work (again) Lynne
    I agree with the others re the two trees - you need to vary each side
    I'm going to try Inkscape myself but you can download the free programme GIMP which is similar to Photoshop
    This too is something I've been considering doing for a long time

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  17. Wow, Ursula's comment made my eyes glaze over. She sounds like she really knows what she's doing! Awesome. While I would like to learn how to do some of these things myself, I would rather sew. And there are many capable people out there who are willing to help. And using the trees is a great idea!

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  18. hm, I'm not sure whether you want to listen to my advice at all, as it's going to be just my feeling and nothing even slightly professional, but I like the banner with the two trees, or if you'd like something asymetrical, I'd leave just the tree on the left.
    As for free graphics software, you could try paint.NET (http://www.getpaint.net/) - it has layers like photoshop, so you can try out different layouts of the same design, e.g. different positions of various elements of the banner.

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  19. LOVE! It definitely shows the "feel" of your work. I don't know but I will always remember you also by the Perle Cotton stitching you added to your bee quilt... Maybe add perle stitching somewhere?

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  20. I'm with rusen ... paint.net is good for stuff like this ... I like it more than gimp, which is more functional but increasingly more complicated.

    If you want any help Lynne I'm around this weekend and I could do you some how to screenshots? email me :)

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  21. Definitely looking a bit too 'No.1 Ladies Detective Agency' at present!

    Your quilts and blocks are so stunning, this just doesn't do 'you' any justice at all. You know I'm not going to sugar-coat anything - so keep at it honey-bun, you'll get there. I prefer the double flying geese, sorry.

    (How dare I criticise - my site is so 'off the shelf' and is really in need of an overhaul for it's first birthday I feel!)

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  22. I like it - but I also think two trees, but keep everything else (size wise) the same!

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  23. Looking great so far. I like the new look.

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  24. I like the change, but then again, I didn't dislike the old one!
    kx

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  25. Check out the suite of tools by Aviary. I've used Toucan for creating color swatches, but Phoenix is an image editor like PhotoShop and there are several other tools that you might be able to use. Best of all, it's free!
    http://www.aviary.com/tools

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  26. Very nice! I like how it's colorful. I would just try to isolate the trees and get rid of the whitish backgrounds behind them. You can do that in a photo editor...I can do it for you if you'd like, I have Photoshop.

    I'm also interested in revamping and creating nice, consistent buttons and an attractive blog design. So tough, but lots of great inspiration out there.

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  27. blog banner tutorial: http://www.thatgirlthatquilt.com/2011/06/blog-banner-tutorial.html

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  28. Adobe will let you download a functioning version of Photoshop as a 30-day trial. (Of course, if you don't already know how to use it, that's not very helpful.) I've got the full suite, if you want, I can help.

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  29. Wow, big changes are happening around your blog! I love the idea of using a blocks that are very "you" like the trees or the double flying geese or something with a circle and crazy paper piecing or a giant dresden, maybe. I really like the not so white background behind the blocks and the letters that you have going on, I don't know how one describes it. I am not thrilled with the font on your letters for the blog title or the post titles but I am rather opinionated about fonts, likely far too much so. I look forward to seeing where you end up.

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  30. Like you, I too loved loved loved your redesigned blog header by Julia, however your block designs are just as pretty and would be great to use in your new blog header. I love the trees, but am not creative enough to advise you on how best to use them.

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  31. i love what you have up there now- beautiful!

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  32. I like the symmetry of the two trees, and the font you've chosen as well. Suits you! Have fun with your redesign. I really want to go to 3 columns myself and unify my buttons as well. Time, please.

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  33. I like where you're going with the trees, and I'll be interested to see what software you use in the end - I'd love to redesign mine but can't afford to pay someone to do it.

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  34. GIMP is an open source alternative to photoshop: http://www.gimp.org/

    Inkscape is a free alternative to illustrator: http://inkscape.org/

    Hope that helps. :)

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