A "how-to" moment by Holly
I don't know how you are about things, but for me, when I get into something like digital scrapbooking or sewing or running, I don't just get into it a little bit, oh no, I have to run to full marathon! (eveyrone usually knows what my latest hobby is around Christmas time when they all get a quilt or scrapbook). I get hyper-focused and the next thing I know, the day is over and nothing but my project was touched (those who saw my apartment during the sewing phase can attest to this, right Christa?). Anyway, the point is that I've had to try really hard not to let this blogging stuff take over my life. However, I do see this as a really fun project, and I love looking around at everyone's blogs and seeing the fun things they're up to. Another fun part of browsing is seeing the cute designs and displays of photos and such. I always want to know, "How did they do that?". So for anyone looking at this blog, here's what I did.
My secret is Photoshop. The "LeRoy and Holly" banner, the "Under Construction" pic, "Aspirations", all Photoshop. On Photoshop, you just write your text, add pictures and graphics (for example- the brick wall on my Construction sign, I Googled "brick wall", clicked on "Images" found that one, opened it in Photoshop, zoomed way in and used it as a background. Same for the Hard Hat sign.) then play around with Special effects like bevels and gradients to get what you want. That's the fun part. The frustrating part is when they look great as an image, but are fuzzy on the blog- the Construction sign. Anyway, then you save it as a .jpg and insert it in your blog like you would a normal picture.
Any software that will let you save an image as a jpeg (.jpg) is one you can use to make blog material, it doesn't have to be Photoshop. That's what I've learned so far in my playing around with blogs. There's so much more I want to figure out- like how to have tabs that will take viewers to another page on my blog, like www.leroyandholly.blogspot.com/thekids. Or something like that. So if anyone knows how to do that, please share!
~Holly
6 comments:
You are so funny! I know what you mean by just jumping in full force. I tend to do that as well. I got photoshop for Christmas and am trying to learn Digital Scrapbooking and photoshop so we need to get together for a tutorial!
I convinced my supervisors at work that I need to learn Photoshop! They are getting it for me and I get to take a 2 day class!! It's not until July, but I have a feeling it will become a new obsession, kinda like food blogs are for me now. Good luck learning all the tricks of blogging.
Holly I love the custom designs on your blog!
I LOVE photoshop too, and I am loving it even more now that my class at Weber State has started!
Photo Design is soooo fun!
I have a few suggestions for you about the question you asked, but I won't write them out here...
I'll call you, or tell you next time I see you!
Oh, and I wouldn't know anything about being obsessed... :)
Thanks for the tips Holly! My blog is very boring and needs some updating - you'd think I'd learn what to do to spruce it up, but I'd rather ask someone else to do it for me...man I'm lazy!!
Put more pictures!
Hey Holly! Dave Ramsey was AWESOME, definitly go see him next year. I guess I keep missing you in my mama's back yard. Dang it! I've been taking a photoshop class and illustrator class. Here is something I learned, I don't know if this tip will help at all but when an image looks awesome and then you put in on your blog and it sucks, try instead to save the image as a png and it should show up much better.
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