Tutorial: How to Get Your Own Grab Button

Have you noticed that grab buttons are everywhere these days? Grab buttons are images usually intended for use in a blog's sidebar that link to another site or blog. In short- it's an ad. Grab buttons are the ultimate way to show your support and to spread the word about something you dig. Here's an example of my own spiffy grab button which you may, of course, grab (wink wink)...

<a border="0" href="http://www.shabbyblogsblog.blogspot.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i711.photobucket.com/albums/ww111/ShabbyBlogs/ShabbyBlogsButton2-2.jpg" /></a>

Now how do YOU get one? Well, I'll tell ya!

1. Choose the image you'd like to use as your button. I'd make it no bigger than 200 pixels wide so it fits on the average sidebar.
2. Upload your cool new button to the image hosting site of your choice. (I use Photobucket, but it doesn't matter.)
3. In another tab, log into your Blogger account and go to the Page Elements page. Click on "Add a Gadget" and select HTML/JavaScript
4. Copy and paste the following code in the text area:

<img src="http://YOURBUTTONLOCATION.jpg" /> <br /> <textarea style="text-align:center" rows="4" cols="22"><a border="0" href="http://YOURBLOGADDRESS.com" target="_blank"><img src=http://YOURBUTTONLOCATION.jpg></a></textarea>

5. In Photobucket (or wherever you chose to store your button), copy the URL or direct link and paste it in both places where the code says YOUR BUTTON LOCATION.
6. Replace the words YOUR BLOG ADDRESS with...your blog address. :)
7. You can change the size of the box below your button by adjusting the numbers 4 (rows) and 22 (columns). You don't have to, but I just thought I'd let you know.
8. Build your blogging empire!

*I have a bunch of blogging tutorials lined up so let me know if there is something in particular you would like to know and I'll add it to the list!

Collage Frame Freebie

I am a pathological picture taker. When one or two photos would suffice, I take twenty or thirty. (Can I get an amen?) Sometimes that makes blogging my photos difficult because I simply have waaaay too many to choose from. That's when I like to bust out a trusty collage. If you haven't tried this technique- trust me. You'll love it! I consider collages a blogging must-have. I'm sure I'll be giving out tons more of these in the future, but for now, here are four perfectly shabby collage frames that are both cute and functional. Enjoy them!

Shabby Collage Frames:
Download

*Click here for a free starter book on digital scrapbooking
*Click here for a tutorial on layering your photo with another image (like my frames)
*If you don't already own photo editing software that supports layers, such as Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro, you can download a free trial version or a free program like Gimp or Paint.NET

Have some more!

What are you waiting for?
Click here to check them out!

Featured {Shabby} Blogger

I have totally been stalling when it comes to choosing our first featured blogger. You have no idea how hard it has been to choose just one person to spotlight when there are so many seriously fabulous blogs I have discovered through your comments! I have "earmarked" several of you for future features. Holy talent! Having said that, on to our very first {Shabby} Featured Blogger...

Meet Virginia!
Blog: BlackFlipFlops

Virginia's blog, like so many of yours, is a blog I found myself wanting to explore. I don't know Virginia, but after clicking around on her blog a bit, I wanted to know her. The more I read, the more I wanted to read. There is something fun and light about her style of writing and her beautiful photographs are whimsical and dreamy. Virginia's kiddos are cuter than cupcakes and she does an amazing job capturing their personalities through her photography. They are going to loooove their mom for this awesome record when they are older! Besides that, this girl can craft! Oh, that I could do what she can do with some paper and a glue stick! I was drooling over this rad creation in particular, but the table she decorated was equally shabulous. All-in-all, BlackFlipFlops is a blog that is definitely worth checking out...especially if you are in the mood for a little inspiration. :)

Here is my interview with this week's Featured {Shabby} Blogger herself:

Me: When and why did you start blogging?

Virginia: I started a private blog for only a couple of friends to read when I moved out of state for a couple of years. It was a great way to stay in close touch with them. When we moved back here, I started my public blog in July of 2005. I had recently had my first child and was a brand new stay at home mom. It was a place where I could just be "me" and gather my thoughts... and share my day to day life.


Me: What is your favorite thing about your blog?

Virginia: My favorite thing about my blog is the way I have made new connections to other people, and that in turn has helped me to realize new things about myself. I love the sense of community blogging brings!

Me: What 3 things most inspire you?

Virginia: The three things that most inspire me: the grace of Jesus, the lives of my little family, and the colorful world we live in! I love color and am greatly affected by it, in my home decor, in the clothes we wear, in my photography, and in my scrapbooking.


Me: Besides blogging, what interests/hobbies do you have?

Virginia: I'm an avid scrapbooker, photographer, and reader! I love to play with paper and get my hands messy with paints and inks. I also love to decorate our 85 year old cottage and make it a creative environment. I do all of this in my spare time; you know, all that spare time I have after I'm done raising my four year old, three year old, 1 1/2 year old, and little baby on the way!

Me: Do you have any advice or tips for new bloggers?

Virginia: My advice for new bloggers... hehe, not sure if I'm entirely qualified to be handing out advice, BUT I would say stay consistent and always keep in mind who your audience is. As a local radio show always says, ask yourself if you were reading your blog- would you be entertained, informed, or would you just be plain bored?

*Now, please click on over to BlackFlipFlops and give our featured blogger some shabby love!!! YOU could be next! :)

Here! Have some tags.

I have tons of new goodies to add to the site, but heaven only knows when I'll get around to it. Not toooo long- I promise. :) In the meantime, here is an early peek at some new tags I made for you to use as sidebar titles. Aren't they cute?


I know that creating tags with white backgrounds seems kind of funny. In digital scrapbooking that would be just plain weird. But I do it for several reasons. 1.) The content area of my backgrounds are all white so it doesn't matter. 2.) Nope. I guess it's just the one reason. So why do all of my designs have white content (post) areas? Because then, no matter how funky the background, YOU are still the main focus. Your text and images are clean and clear for all the world to see. Also, with a pattern or color in the content section of your blog, it can be hard to view transparent images or images that are odd-shaped. They often display with white around them, which looks pretty icky on a colored background. But you won't ever have to worry about that. I'm looking out for you. Aaand, by giving you a white content area, I am also giving you the gift of super easily getting rid of those lines that are around everything in Blogger. I'm referring to the borders... borders everywhere! Just go to your "Fonts and Colors" page under "Layout" and change the border color to white. See? Looking out for you. ;)


On a totally unrelated note... I'm going to start featuring bloggers next week. Anyone who uses one of my backgrounds and leaves a comment on this here blog is in the running. So many of you are truly talented and deserving of a shout-out. I'm really excited to share your brilliance with our fellow shabby bloggers! :)

Sweet Life Tags:
Download

Happy Easter!

Shabby Blogs has added some fun buttons and blinkies to accessorize your blog. We've also added a few wider backgrounds for those of you with stretched and 3-column layouts. Have fun with them!

And the winner is...

Congratulations!!!

You are the lucky blogger drawn from the hat- a pink cowgirl one, just to give you a visual. I'll email you soon so we can discuss all the shabby details. :) Yaaaay for Celeste! (I'm totally excited!)

Thanks to everyone who entered my custom blog design giveaway! I had fun reading your comments and checking out each of your awesome blogs. Please don't feel bad if you didn't win. I'm sorry I can only choose one of you!

Wait a sec... Who says I can only choose one of you? I'm picking a runner up! *fishes around in pink cowgirl hat again*

Melody!

Congratulations Melody! As soon as I'm done with Celeste's design, I'll create something for you! Be thinking about what you want. :)

If you didn't win, you can still leave me a comment with "suggestions" for future blog designs and I will do everything I can to supply you with the coolest in blog couture. ;) If you are just dying for custom shabby goodness, check out Michelle's work at Shabby Creations. You'll love her!

Thanks again everyone!

It's all about YOU!

Finding a blog design that really reflects who you are can be difficult. Hopefully, you've been to the Shabby Blogs site and were able to find something that represented your own personal style. Adding a customized header, gadgets, and most importantly- posts, is what really makes your blog a reflection of you. Shabby Blogs is taking blog couture one step further. How about a totally customizable background that features your own photographs? I've created this design, but YOU get to make it your own. In the photo editing program of your choice, layer photos beneath the frames to create a one-of-a-kind layout that is all about you!

Here is an example of what this design will look like when finished...using my own shabby girls as models. :)

If you are new to digital scrapbooking, you can check out this video tutorial for basic instructions on how to add your photos to an image like my background.

Here's what to do after adding your photos to this background:

1. Flatten the image and save it as a .jpeg- but be sure you adjust the image quality to be less than 1 megabyte. Anything 1.0 or higher won't display right.
2. Once it's saved, upload it to Photobucket, making sure that you've selected the 1 megabyte file size upload option.
3. In a new tab, log into your Blogger account and click on "Layout"
4. Now click on the tab that say "Edit HTML"
5. Scroll down in your code to where you see something like this:

body {
background:$bgcolor;
margin:0;
color:$textcolor;
font:x-small Georgia Serif;
font-size/* */:/**/small;
font-size: /**/small;
text-align: center;
}

and replace the line I highlighted with this:
background:url(YOURLINKHERE) top center no-repeat;

6. Now, in your Photobucket account, copy the direct link to your customized background and paste it in the above code where it says YOURLINKHERE.
7. Select "Preview" to make sure everything looks right. Depending on the size of your monitor, some of the background may be cut off, but don't worry! It's impossible to size background images of this nature to fit everyone's screen perfectly and the same way. Put photos in each frame so that even if you can't see it, others who have larger screens can!
8. If it looks good to you, save it. If not, don't blame me. Just kidding! Review these steps and try again. I'll do my best to answer any questions!

*It's always a good idea to save a copy of your template before playing with the code...just in case. You don't even want to know how many times I've gone all kung-fu on my HTML only to discover I did a bad, bad thing. Save it first so you can always return to Old Faithful if you get a little too carried away. :)

Happy blogging!!!

Download

Giveaway!

So you may have noticed, but I am all about giving things away. Why? Because I whole-heartedly believe that everyone deserves an awesome blog. Period. And kinda because I hate ugly blogs, but that's a side issue. :) Leave a comment and you will be entered to win a 100% original and totally custom blog design. Package includes two headers, at least two backgrounds, matching sidebar titles, frames for your photos, a site button, and a blinkie. (If you're like me, you'll want to change your design often so one design just isn't enough!) For extra entries, friend it up on Facebook (1), Twitter (1), and post my shabulous button on your blog (2). Good luck!