Archive for February, 2008:
How to remove the “Next Blog” from Blogger Blogs
Do you want to remove the "Next Blog" feature on your Blogger Blog? Easy as pie.
1. Open up your Blogger admin page.
2. Click on "Layout"
3. Click "Edit HTML"
4. Find your Template Style text (looks something like this):
———————————————–
Blogger Template Style
Name: Minima Lefty Stretch
Designer: Douglas Bowman / Darren Delaye
URL: www.stopdesign.com
Date: 14 Jul 2006
———————————————– */
5. Copy/Paste this text directly under it:
#navbar-iframe {
display: none !important;
}
6. Save Template
From tattoo to blog banner!
I recently had a fun request to make a blog banner for Andrea Murdock with a unique feature! A butterfly tattoo!
She took a photo of the tattoo:
And she asked me to put it on her blog banner:
How cool is that??
I put the tattoo on her watermark too… so she can tattoo all her cards up!
Take a look at Andrea’s blog and make a comment! How fun!
So just what is the difference between fluid and fixed?
Blog Banners will fit on a blog differently depending if the layout of the blog is fluid or fixed. Perhaps you don’t completely understand just what is meant by "fluid" and "fixed".
Allow me to take a moment to explain.
Your blog doesn’t necessarily look to others the same way you see it on your monitor. Not everyone uses the same combinations of settings and software. Some variables include:
- Differing screen resolution on the monitor
- Browser (Firefox, IE, etc.) that is used to view it
- Operating system on the viewers computer
- Toolbar Size
- Browser window "maximized" or not
These differences affect how a blog layout looks to others. This is where "Fluid" and "Fixed" come into play.
Fluid Layouts
Blog templates with fluid layouts are the most accommodating to viewers with a wide range of the variables listed above. The blog will fit in any size of browser window with any resolution and the viewer will not need to use the horizontal scroll bar to see the right side of the blog.
What does this mean for your layout and blog banner? Simply this. The banner cannot be "centered" in any way. There is no "right side edge" to your layout. Nothing can be centered without having both a left and right edge. Therefore, your blog banner will be located flush with the left margin of your browser window.
For some viewers, the banner will appear completely centered. Some other viewers will see space after the banner, but will not have to scroll with the horizontal bar to read your blog because the paragraphs will "wrap" to accommodate the text on the screen. If the viewer with the space at the right side of the banner reduces the size of their browser window, the banner will appear centered.
Fixed Layouts
A fixed template layout will have both a left and a right margin regardless of your monitor size or resolution. Lets say your sidebar is 300 pixels and your main column is 600 pixels in a fixed layout for a total of 900 pixels width. If a viewer has an 800 pixel width browser, that person will see your blog with the right side cut off. To read the remaining 100 right edge pixels of your blog (or view your complete 900 pixel blog banner, they will have to move the horizontal scroll bar to the right to see the right side of the blog and banner. If someone has a 2,000 pixel width browser, your blog will be completely visible (unlike the 800 pixel browser) but will appear smaller on their browser window. It won’t "fill up" the space but instead will have a very large "background".
Which is better?
This is simply a personal preference. In my experience, Fluid blog layouts work best for me. I simply want those with smaller browser windows/resolution to be able to see my entire blog without using the scroll bar. Those with the larger windows can reduce their window size if they want to get rid of the space after the banner. Fluid layouts will always show the entire blog regardless of variables, whereas Fixed layouts may appear cut-off on small browser windows or too small on large ones.
Best thing is to experiment with what you think looks good, but keep in mind many people will not see your blog the same way you do!
In the next post I will list some examples of both Fluid and Fixed banners!
It’s a dog’s life, baby…
When it comes to being creative with a stamping blog and having fun at the same time, no one does it better than Stampin’ Up! Independent Demonstrator Ann Clemmer over at http://www.stamperdog.com.
When I spoke with Ann awhile back, she said she was a bit uncomfortable talking about herself and her business on the blog. So, she decided to make her blog into Stamper the dog’s blog instead! Stamper is an important part of Ann’s family and holds a special place in Ann’s heart! Why not give Stamper his "say"?
When I asked Ann’s dog Stamper for an interview, he graciously accepted. He is a fascinating personality and he’s becoming more famous as the years go by. He mentioned in his interview that he has been named a Director in a new collection of videos, so his fans will be seeing more of him in the future.
The Interview
Michelle: Good afternoon Stamper. Thanks for taking a few moments out of your busy day to answer a few questions for your fans. Tell me, please. When Ann places photos in your art gallery, does she let you pick which
ones you’d like online?
Stamper: I have total artistic control for
what gets shared in my art gallery. I’d like to think that there’s
something there for everyone. There’s the main art gallery & a
separate section for retired sets. I’m also starting a new career as
director of Ann’s videos. You’ll see more of them in the near future in my
Video Gallery. My plan is to follow in Alfred Hitchcock’s steps and have a
brief appearance whenever possible.
Ann’s embossing powder?
Stamper: She’s pretty good with the embossing powder,
but it’s the glitter that gets everywhere! That’s one reason I rarely get
on her stamp table. Glitter toes don’t impress Snoopy, my
buddy next door or any other of my canine friends. (I have more
stamping friends than canine ones anyway)
come up with a topic? Does writing just come natural to you?
Stamper: Once
I’ve got an idea, I run with it.
blog when she isn’t looking?
Stamper: SHHHH! That’s how this whole thing got
started! She went away on her first cruise a couple years ago and
I took the opportunity to start my blog with a special. And the
rest, they say, is history.
Stamper: This is the hardest question! She is such a crack up! You just
never know what she’s going to say or do! I especially like it when she
makes a mistake. It’s just like life! No big deal! Turn the
paper over & do it again! However, I do get concerned when she has
that Crop-A-Dile thing in her hand. I’m thinking that she may pierce my
ear someday or worse!
too?
Stamper: I helped her design my copyright notice so I could keep
my paws OUT of the ink. I’m pretty clean as dogs go. I like to keep
my white parts white. I do have a bit on the end of my tail. I think
Ann stuck the end of my tail in a Really Rust reinker bottle and the color’s
never gone away.
stamping from the unique viewpoint of a dog?
Stamper: I just love being a part
of Ann’s Stampin’ Up! team! I’m
incredible…..er…..incredibly appreciative of all the human stampers that
allow me to zoom around their feet. I’m so excited to see them come
over! I’m amazed that no one’s stepped on me yet! I have been
known to pluck a card out of a purse or off the table for a closer look, but I
practice more discretion now that I’m over two years old.
mission is to share my love of rubber stamping with everyone. It’s so easy
just being me.
Well there you have it. A live interview with the world famous Stamper Dog direct from Yuba City, CA. In another year or two I expect he will earn his star in Hollywood. Mark my words…
Namedropping your way to a better blog
Namedropping? A good thing?
It is when you are blogging about stamping! I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a beautiful card featured on a blog post but there are no details about ink names, stamp set names, accessory names. This is frustrating. The lack of this information doesn’t help to sell product.
While this seems like a small problem to a small reader "need", this problem is actually larger if you look at the bigger picture! What if you saw a fabulous project on a blog that uses a stamp set you recognize as "Simply Said" but you can’t locate it now. You’d go search for it at Splitcoastbloggers, right? Here in the Rubber Stamping Blog Search Engine. The problem is that if the blogger doesn’t include the stamp set name in her post, it will not show up in the search results when you search for "Simply Said"! The blogger who featured that great project that you are searching for won’t get your "hit". By not including the project details, they are not taking the full potential of driving traffic to their blog!
Remember to include project details in your post to take full advantage of the power of using search engines to drive traffic to your blog!
Tips on choosing a title for your blog
So you’ve started a blog. You’re brand new to the blogging world and you need to establish an online blog identity. Where do you begin? One of the things you start with is your blog’s title. The title of your blog will be the first thing readers see, so it is very important. With all the title possibilities available, how do you decide? Here are a few tips to consider when deciding on a title.
1. Make it short – you want a title that is short, catchy and memorable. Try to keep out words like "and" and "with". A snappy 2 or 3 letter title with carefully chosen words will be the most memorable to your readers.
2. Avoid fancy punctuation in your title such as curly brackets { } around words, dashes — between words, or Asterisks * before and after a title. I’ve seen all three of these punctuation marks being used by bloggers in the years of reading rubber stamping blogs. While not "wrong", there are advantages for those who avoid them in their titles. If you begin your blog title with a mark of punctuation, some directories will put your blog at the bottom of an alphabetical list in query results. Some directories or blog rolls will not read the punctuation mark as the punctuation mark you intend it to be but instead will display code in front of your title that will cause problems for search engines.
3. In the case of rubber stamping bloggers, try to include some keywords in your title such as "paper", "ink", "rubber stamping". But remember to make your title intriguing enough for someone to click on and want to view. Some examples of great blog names are (these are taken!): "Paper Trufflez", "Paper Expressions", "My Rubber Room", "Blissful Creativity", "Thinking Inking", and "Inky Art".
4. Check to see if your name has been claimed as a domain name. If the blog title you want to use is being used by someone as a domain name, you may want to choose another. Once you think of a name you like that is not already claimed as a domain name, go to http://www.godaddy.com to purchase your name. If someone purchases your name before you do, then you won’t be able to purchase it for yourself.
5. Don’t use your Username as your blog title and URL. For example, when you sign up for a blog, you will be asked for a URL name such as http://www.yournamehere.blogspot.com. If your username is betty456 and your blog title is "Stamping Dreams", you want to use http://www.stampingdreams.blogspot.com not http://www.betty456.blogspot.com. Make sure you do this when you sign up for your blog because it can’t be changed after the fact.
6. When you have a custom blog banner created for your blog make sure you decide on the "permanent" title BEFORE you order. You will not be able to easily change your title after your banner has already been created. If you change your name, you will most likely need to order another banner to fix it.
7. If you can’t decide on a title, ask your friends for their opinions!
Choosing a name for your blog is a fun thing to do and need not be frustrating. Be creative and keep the above suggestions in mind and start blogging!
Lots of new banners to see
Take a look at my recent productivity… creating these banners keeps me out of mischief!
Splitcoastbloggers
Blog Stamper
