Plumrose Lane Tutorials

Blogger Interface: How to Revert Back

2012-01-31T19:36:00.006-05:00

For those of you who have been struggling to navigate your way around the new Blogger interface, I've written some easy steps below to revert back to the old interface. So just follow along and you'll be back to 'old' before you know it. And, as with all of my tutorials, if you need to view a larger version of the example image, simply click on it to enlarge.

Log into your blog and navigate to this page, usually found by clicking on the "Design" or "Template" link in the top right hand corner of your blog...

(Note: if you have more than one blog then you will need to click on a specific blog title ~ if you change the layout for one blog you change them for all of your blogs.)

Next, click on the little gear in the top right side...

Now click on "Old Blogger interface"...

You will now be reverted back to the old interface. All of my own tutorials are written for this interface and so you can now easily navigate these tutorials.

I do plan on updating all of my tutorials to fit within the new interface once time permits so you can look for those down the line.

Enjoy~

Understanding Basic Blog Design Issues ~ Questions & Answers

2011-10-10T10:36:00.005-04:00

Below is a PDF discussing basic info which is important to understand before using my free prefab backgrounds ~
Understanding Basic Blog Design Issues

How to: Setup Blog Posts on Facebook

2011-09-08T13:04:00.025-04:00

This tutorial will cover how to setup your blog postings to automatically feed into your Facebook profile or business page. A personal profile is the standard page you receive when you sign up for a Facebook account. A business page is a separate page you can set up that's related to your specific type of business. Note: you must have a personal FB profile in order to set up a business page. For more information on businesses pages visit this link and to create a business page visit this link.

For this tutorial you will need to have a Facebook profile page, and a business page if you are interested in adding your blog feed to that as well. We will begin with adding your blog posts to your personal page and then move on to adding them to your business page.

Setting up Notes on Your Personal Page

To begin, log in to your Facebook profile and go to your profile page...

Next click on this link ~http://www.facebook.com/editnotes.php?import~to be taken to the "Import Notes" page...
Now enter the url or web address of your blog in the text box ~ be sure you enter the entire address by including the "http://" part so that it looks like this - "http://yourblogname.blogspot.com...

Next click that you agree to the Terms of Use and click the "Save Settings" button...
On the next page click the "Confirm" button...
That's it! Your previous posts will appear in the Notes area and any new posts you make will automatically show up...
If you have any problems with the process you can view the Notes: Bugs and known problems section on Facebook for support. If you need any other help with Notes, either adding or stopping, visit this help page on Facebook.

Now we'll move on to...

Setting up Notes on Your Personal Page

Begin by logging into your Facebook account and navigate to your business page and click on the "Edit Page" button...
Now click on "Apps" in the left sidebar area...

On the next page you'll see an the area titled "Notes"...
Click on the "Go to App" link...

On the next page click on "Edit import settings" found at the bottom of the left sidebar area...

Now, just as you did above, enter your entire blog address in the box (be sure to include the http:// just as I've done in the example below), then click on the check box, and finish by clicking the "Start Importing" button...
On the next page you'll see a preview of your blog feed, click on the "Confirm" button...

You should now see your own blog posts appear in the Notes section of your business page, just as mine are shown on my page below...

And that's it! You've successfully added your blog feed ~ congratulation!

As with the personal profile section above, if you encounter any issues with adding your blog feed, visit this link for further info.

Enjoy~

Blogging Tutorials

2011-04-25T15:45:00.019-04:00

Looking for some help with blogging? Below is a list of tutorials to help you navigate your way to creating your own blog with a personal touch...

Decorative Themes & Add-ons

Before you begin...
Understanding Basic Blog Design Issues ~ Q&A
Blogger Changes - Tutorial Updates

Essentials:

How to: Change to a Minima Template

How to: Install a Decorative Blog Background

How to: Install a Blog Header/Banner

How to: Install Decorative Tags
How to: Install a Sidebar Button/Badge - copying html codes

Beyond Basics:
How to: Add a Post Divider - decorative dividing image

How to: Erase Pesky Lines - Around Images
How to: Add a Signature to Blog Posts

Setting Up a 3 Column Layout

Getting Started with Blogging

Basics:

How to: Setup a Blog - on Blogger
How to: Write a Blog Post - includes adding images and links
Working with Titles & Labels

How to: Keep it Clear - using clear background images
How to: Setup & Edit Your Blogger Profile
The Basics of "Following" & "Followers"
How to: Control Spam Comments & Report Blog Spammers
How to: Add an Email Link to a Sidebar Image
How to: Work with "Pages"

Beyond Basics:
How to: Setup a Feed for Your Blog (Feedburner)
How to: Setup a Subscribe Button - for your blog feed

How to: Setup Google Analytics for Your Blog - collecting statistical data for your blog
How to: Link Your Blog to Your Twitter Feed
How to: Set up Mobile Viewing for Your Blog
How to: Setup Blog Posts on Facebook

Getting Help:
Adding an Author (Guest User) to Your Blog

Trouble Shooting & Issues

Basics:

How to: Setup a Blog - on Blogger

Most of my tutorials are written for those who are not comfortable with computers and the internet - they are meant to be a literal step-by-step instruction.

Please help me, help you... if you find any broken links or errors I would love to hear from you so I can repair them. More tutorials will be added to this list as I create them.

Now all of my tutorials in one fabulous package for one low price

$10.95 buys the complete set of digital tutorials
all 25 tutorials in PDF format ~ including my exclusive three part series

"How to Create Your Own Blog Background"

Click the book above to purchase from my Etsy shop...

Need more help with your blog?

I'm happy to lend a hand!
Click on the image below for more info...

Setting Up Mobil Viewing on Your Blog

2011-04-24T11:56:00.001-04:00

I've just learned that Blogger is currently testing a new feature for viewing blogs on mobile devices. Up until this point, if you tried to view a blog through your mobile device, it appeared huge and was difficult to read in such a large state. This new feature reduces blogs down to a more readable size and organizes postings in a cohesive manner.

To set up this feature on your own blog follow the simple steps below...

First you'll need to log into your blog and then click on this link: http://draft.blogger.com/home This area is called "Blogger Draft" and appears to be a duplicate of the regular "Dashboard" area of our blogs.

There you will click on the "Settings tab" and then the blue "Email & Mobile" link...

At the top of this page you'll see a new section titled "Mobile Template (beta)"...

*In the online world "beta" usually denotes something new and in the testing stages.*

In this area you'll want to click the small button next to "Yes, On mobile devices, show the mobile version of my template"...

Be sure to scroll down the to the bottom and click the orange "Save Settings" button...

Once saved, you can then return to the top of the page and preview a sampling of your blog by clicking the blue "Mobile Preview" button...

Something else I noticed in this preview is that certain features, like the image navigation area at the top of my blog, will not show up in mobile view so some of the navigation is missing however is does display a nice reduced version of blog and that's pretty sweet!

Enjoy~

Now all of my tutorials in one fabulous package for one low price

$10.95 buys the complete set of my digital tutorials
all 25 tutorials in PDF format ~ including my exclusive three part series

"How to Create Your Own Blog Background"

available only with this purchase.

Click the book above to purchase from my Etsy shop..

How to: Add a Post Divider

2011-04-19T22:37:00.009-04:00

The following tutorial will assist you in adding a post divider to your own blog. Post dividers serve as a decorative division between each blog posting. To view a selection of my coordinating post dividers click here.

To use this tutorial you will need to work in the html code area of your blog. For this reason I strongly recommend backing up your blog template before proceeding. To do this Log into your blogger account and navigate to the "Design" area of your blog.

Click on the "edit html" link, then click on "Download Full Template" to save a copy of your current template to your computer. You are now ready to proceed with the tutorial...

In the same html area scroll down through the html code until you find...

.post

this is the area that controls your post layout and style, it will contain items such as....

.post {
margin: 0 0 40px 0;
width: 90%
}

Personally I think it's easier to replace the entire code in that area with the new code so copy the following code and place it over the existing code so that it now reads...

.post{
margin: 0 0 40px 0;
width: 90%;
background: url(http://www.imagehost.com/separator.jpg);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: bottom center;
margin:.5em 0 1.5em;
padding-bottom:2.5em;
}

Now, all you'll need to do is copy and paste any of the post divider image codes into the red type area inside the parenthesis. In this example I'll use the Stormy Weather post divider so here that code:

Stormy Weather
410 wide image & codehttp://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy344/plumrose-lane/Blog%20Backgrounds/Blog%20Dividers/PrL-StormyWeather-postdivider-410x.png

and here is how the final code will look for this post divider...

.post{
margin: 0 0 40px 0;
width: 90%;
background: url(http://i806.photobucket.com/albums/yy344/plumrose-lane/
Blog%20Backgrounds/Blog%20Dividers/PrL-StormyWeather-postdivider-410x.
png);
background-repeat: no-repeat;
background-position: bottom center;
margin:.5em 0 1.5em;
padding-bottom:2.5em;
}

And that's it, click to "Save" and when you return to your blog you should now see a decorative post divider between each blog post.

If you find the post divider appears to be cramped in under the bottom of your post and your tags, try increasing the "padding-bottom: 2.5em" to a higher amount, such as 4.0 or 4.5. This will help to provide more area around the post divider image.

Enjoy!

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How To Keep it Clear ~ using clear background images

2011-02-01T12:31:00.000-05:00

This tutorial will help solve the issue where clear png images show a white background. First an explanation...

Clear Images

The only two types of clear images are gifs and pngs. Although jpgs have a nice resolution they are unable to sustain a clear background. This is important to notice when you're saving images to your computer. Always be sure to save a clear backed png image as just that - a png.

Loading Images:

In the first example I've posted a clear png image as it's meant to be...

However in the example below the same image now has a white background behind it. Why? You may ask...Well, the answer is simple - in this case when I loaded the second image I resized it. Making a clear png image smaller will automatically fill in the clear background. So to keep images with a clear back you'll either need to load the image in it's original size or resize the image in a graphics program before loading it.

There are two main areas image sizing is important in blogging, the first is when you're adding an image to the sidebar of your blog and the second is when you're including an image in a blog post.

We'll address both of these below....

Adding an Image to Your Sidebar

Most of my sidebar image tutorials already cover how to add images using various methods so for this example we'll just pay close attention to the sizing factor when adding images.

When you're using the "Add a Gadget" feature found under the "Design" tab to add an image to the sidebar of your blog...

Be sure to uncheck the "shrink to fit" box...

This will keep the image you're loading in it's original size so if it's a clear backed png your image will remain clear.

Adding an image to a Blog Post

The same rule applies when you're including an image in your blog post and so it's important to pay special attention to the "Add Image" feature and load your images large if they're clear backed...

Size does matter - keep it large

I hope this info has been helpful and I hope to see more and more clear backed images around blogland. Remember, if you need specific help just leave a comment and if you need any help beyond the basics highlighted above, be sure to visit the Tutorials section of my blog for step-by-step instructions.

You can also find a complete set of my tutorials in pdf format listed for sale in my shop.
Enjoy!

The Basics of "Following" & "Followers"

2011-01-24T11:22:00.041-05:00

The tutorial below covers several key points to Following and Followers including ~

✻Adding the Followers Gadget
✻Following Other Blogs
✻Troubleshooting
✻Your Following List

If you're already familiar with one subject, simple scroll down to the area you find most helpful.

✻Newbie Flash: For those of you who aren't familiar with "Following", this is a nifty feature Blogger offers where you can keep track of the blogs you like. Following another blog adds that blog to a list which you can easily find by visiting the Dashboard section of your blog. There you can view the most recently posted blogs and add or delete from the list. To find the Dashboard area of your blog click on the "Design" link at the top right side of your own blog and then click on "Dashboard" found in the same area. There's a good bit of info on the subject offered from Blogger and you can read more on that by clicking here.

Now on with our tutorial...

Adding the "Followers" Gadget

Let's begin by adding this feature to your own blog. To do so, log into your blog and click on "Design" found at the top right side of your blog, outlined in pink in the image below...

Next click on "Add a Gadget"...

In the pop-up window, scroll down to "Followers" and click on the blue plus button...

Here you can rename the object if you want to be creative, some bloggers come up with terrific alternatives, or leave it as is. The title can always be changed in the future so just be sure to add the gadget by clicking the orange "Save" button...

You will now see the new "Followers" gadget at the top of your sidebar...

This is a good place to keep the gadget so visitors can easily find it, however you can also move the gadget around by clicking and dragging it to a different location if you prefer...

Once finished, be sure to click the orange "Save" button to set it's location...

And then click the blue "View Blog" to see your new gadget in action...

With that completed, let's now go over how to "Follow" someone's blog...

Following Other Blogs

Here are a few pointers for "Following" other blogs. Since the "Follow" feature is directly tied into our Blogger profile, you may want to take a look at my other tutorial which covers profiles. You can view "How to: Set up and Edit Your Blogger Profile" by clicking here.

First, we'll begin by navigating to a blog you would like to Follow. This is also a good time to mention that you can Follow your own blog. So, navigate to the blog you wish to Follow and click on the "Follow" button...

A pop-up window will appear and there you will see a few options ~ let's take a look at these...

Aside from the gray "Follow this blog" button which we will continue on with in a moment, you also have the option of Following publicly or privately and the blue "More options" link...

The public and private options include descriptions right there so let's explore the "More options" link. By clicking on that link the options expand and you'll see the following items...

The first section covers your name and profile...

Here you can edit your profile and can even change which profile you use to Follow blogs. This is a handy area in the event you're having difficulty Following others or the "Follow" feature is drawing from the wrong profile. For more info on this, please see the "Troubleshooting" section of this tutorial below.

Next we have the "Settings" section, again this area enables you to Follow publicly or privately...

And then finally there is the gray "Follow" button and the "fewer options" link...

When you click the blue link it contracts back to the original view where you can then click the gray "Follow this blog" button...

Then click on the gray "Done" button... At this point your screen will refresh and you can scroll back down to view your own icon, now present in the list of "Followers"...

Troubleshooting

If you're experiencing issues with Following others, such as an incorrect profile showing up, then you can try these steps to remedy the situation.

Note: It should be noted that Blogger often experiences technical difficulties which can lend to issues with Following others. The information below is in lieu of Blogger not experiencing any of these issues currently.

First you can navigate to a blog you are currently Following and click on the "options" button just below your name...

Or second, navigate to a blog you are not currently Following and click on the "Follow" button, then click on the blue "more options" link...

Either method will take you to the Basics setting page for Following. Here you will see "Currently using your Blogger profile", go ahead and click the blue "Change" link... In this area you'll have the option to change OR reset where the Follow feature is drawing your profile from...

It will show you which profile you're currently using...

And give you a selection of other possible profiles to use...

Selecting your "Blogger" profile should reset any misdirections and help to ensure you're Following others with the correct profile...

Once complete you'll see a new pop-up, click "Close" to finish the reset...

You will now return to the previous window where you can click the red "X" to close this window...

As I mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, be sure your Blogger profile is set up with all your info, to do this simply follow my other tutorial: How to: Setup and Edit Your Blogger Profile

Your Following List

You can always view the blogs you are Following and edit the list by visiting the Dashboard section of your blog. To find this area, click on the "Design" link from your blog...

Then click on the blue "Dashboard" link found at the top right side of your window...

In the Dashboard area, scroll down below your list of blogs and you'll see the "Reading List" area...

This is where you can view a list of the blogs you Follow along with an excerpt from their most recent blog postings. In this area you'll also see a few tabs to explore...

Becoming familiar with each tab and what it offers will help you keep track of the blogs you Follow and your Following list.

With that you're done ~ hopefully this has helped shed some light on the subject and even assisted you in gaining control of the blogs you most like to keep up to date with.

Enjoy!

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How to: Add an Email Link to a Sidebar Image

2011-01-11T12:49:00.022-05:00

In this tutorial we'll add an email address to a sidebar image link. The process is easy and you needn't know any html coding.

Before we begin you'll need to have an image you will use to link to your email. You can select from any of my free sidebar tags which can be found here. Once you've decided what image you want to use for your email link be sure to save it on your computer in a location you can easily find again later in this tutorial.

✻Remember, you can click any of the images to enlarge for a better view✻

And now we'll begin...

Log into your blog and click on the "Design" link found in the top right corner...

Working under the "Design" tab, click on the "Add a Gadget" link in the sidebar area...

In the pop-up window, scroll down to "Picture" and click the blue plus symbol...

In the next pop-up window we will work with a few features. The first is to uncheck the "shrink" box, this will ensure your image stays it's proper size...

Note: all of my free sidebar tags are sized at 200 pixels wide and fit within the standard sidebar area size. If you are using an image other than one of my sidebar tags then you may need to reduce your image down and this would require keeping the "Shrink" box checked.

Next we will add a sidebar image to be used in your sidebar so begin by clicking the "Browse" button...

Navigate to where you saved the image you wish to use, click on the image, and then click "Open"...

With the image now added we will then work on adding the email link. Begin by removing the "http" in the "Link" box...

Next, type in "mailto:" in the same "Link" area, being sure to include all of the letters and the colon...

Next, as in the example below, type in your exact email address, without including a space, like so...

You are now finished with this section so go ahead and click the orange "Save" button...

Congratulations! You have successfully added an email link to a sidebar image. To view your new button click on the "View Blog" link...

There you have it...

This email link button, when clicked, will allow individuals to send an email to you directly from your blog. This type of link works for most people using commonly known email programs such as Google.

Enjoy!

Now all of my tutorials in one fabulous package for one low price

$10.95 buys the complete set of 25 digital tutorials
in PDF format ~ including my exclusive three part series

"How to Create Your Own Blog Background"

available only with this purchase.

Click the book above to purchase from my Etsy shop..

Working with Titles & Labels

2010-11-12T13:35:00.009-05:00

It's always so striking to me how few bloggers use Titles and Labels when writing their blog postings and I imagine this is due in part to simply not understanding the importance they hold in helping people actually find the information we write about on our blogs.

Both Titles and Labels are equally important because they help our visitors more easily find information in our blogs, either by finding our blog posts through commonly used search engines like Google or by using the search feature which you hopefully have positioned somewhere on your sidebar*.

To easily access and view all of the titles and labels you've used in your blog posts, visit the "Edit Posts" page found under the "Postings" tab...

Using "Titles" for your blog posts is essential for a number of reasons, non more so than for your own organization. Using titles allows you to easily view previous blog posts and find them faster ...

There you will find a list of all the blog posts you've written, listed by date and showing their titles.

In this section you will also find an alphabetical list of all the Labels you've used for your blog postings and the amount of posts containing those Labels...

are important because it's how the "Search this blog" feature is used to find previous blog posts and it's also how the Google search engine sorts our blog posts, by title.

The feature Blogger calls "Labels" is also known as tags or keywords on the internet. This is an important feature to include with each blog posting because it also helps keep our blog organized, allows search engines to organize and list our blog posts and also helps that nifty LinkWithin gadget work which can be found at the bottom of many blog postings.To include a Title in your blog post simply look for this area...and type in a title related to what you're writing about in your blog post. It's reminiscent of grade school when we had to define a paragraph in as few words as possible and you can have some fun with it by making your titles catchy or enticing so that your visitors will want to read more.

To add Labels to your post just think of a few words that relate to what you're writing about, for example this posting will include "tutorial" and "how to". To include Labels in your blog post just look for this area when writing your blog post...and be sure each word is followed by a comma, like so...Using Titles and Labels may take a few extra seconds when composing your blog posts but in the long run can save you loads of time by helping to organize your postings as well as helping to create a more enjoyable experience for your visitors.

*If you are not currently using the search feature gadget on your blog and wish to add it go to the "Design" tab (1) of your blog, then click on "Page Elements" (2), next click on "Add-a-Gadget" (3), then look for "Search box" and click the blue plus button to add...

Enjoy!

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How to: Control Spam Comments & Report Blog Spammers

2010-11-03T14:22:00.020-04:00

Recently one of my visitors asked for help in understanding how to control who can leave comments on our blogs. While I don't profess to know everything about Blogger (or even half, for that matter) I have delved into this realm a bit because like most of you, the thought of having someone spam my blog with advertising comments leaves me feeling rather sick. And so I thought I would share a few steps with you on how to control comments left on your blog posts. So, away we go...

To begin, you will need to log into your blog so that you can navigate to the area of your blog I like to call the "backroom"...

Once there, click on the "Settings" tab...

Next click on the blue "Comments" link...

On the "Comments" page you will see a selection of options which control the comments features of your blog. If you're following along with this tutorial then go ahead and scroll down the page, reading over each title to get familiar with the various selections or simply click on the image below to view a screen shot of the entire page...

For the moment, we're going to focus on the second section ~ "Who Can Comment"...

To prevent unwanted "Anonymous" comments you'll want to be sure one of the other choices is selected...

Personally I usually select the "Registered Users" option. The reason for this is several of my friends host their blogs outside of Blogger by using either Typepad or WordPress and this allows them the ability to leave comments if they choose.

*****************

One thing to keep in mind is that neither of these selections will alleviate spam comments completely as many of those users create Blogger accounts for the purpose of being able to get around this feature.

For this reason Blogger has created a location where you can report a spam blogger. It's a tool I use frequently in the hope of reducing these obnoxious offenders and the process to report them takes only a few seconds. So, here's how it works...

When someone leaves a comment on your blog you can easily access their profile by clicking on the avatar or name associated with their comment...

This only applies if you've already selected to not allow "Anonymous" users the ability to leave comments, as described above - Anonymous users do not show a link.

In the example below you can even also see how some visitors have a Blogger logo next to their name, while those with an "Open Id" have a different logo...

To report a spammer, you'll need to know the exact address of their Blogger profile. To find out this information click on the blogger's name which should appear in blue if it's a link...

The important information you will need is the actual address of the profile which you can find in the address bar of your browser...

{Note: I'm using my profile as an example since I was unable to locate a spammer's profile so please don't submit my blog ~ I would cry... a lot.

Copy this information, if you're a Windows user you can do this by right clicking in the address bar and selecting copy...

Next, go to this address: http://www.google.com/support/blogger/bin/request.py?contact_type=spam

The page is designed simply to report spam bloggers to Google...

To report the offending blogger, just paste the address you copied into the open text area...

and then click the gray "Submit" button...

That's it... you've successfully reported a nasty blog spammer.

*****************

Returning once again to the "Comments" section in our tutorial when you are finished making changes to the area be sure to save your changes by clicking the orange "Save Settings" button at the bottom...

That's it! I hope this information has been helpful and together we can work to make Blogland a bit more enjoyable and a user friendly place to be. And as always, if you find any errors with my tutorials please help me help you by letting me know so I can fix the issues ~ thanks!

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How To: Set up & Edit Your Blogger Profle

2010-10-11T11:06:00.016-04:00

This tutorial will cover how to set up your blogger profile. This is especially helpful for enabling others to find you and your blog and is handy for those who have may have a blog for testing backgrounds which they don't necessarily want others to see.

To begin, you'll need to sign in to your blog then navigate to the area I like to call the "backroom" of your blog. There you will see a small blue link for the "Dashboard" at the top right side of your screen....

On the next screen you'll see a selection of information including a list of your blog/s, and your avatar. We're here to modify your profile so click on the second choice below your avatar "Edit Profile"...

This is the area where you can choose what to show and what to hide from your visitors. Editing this information is easy, just read over the choices and select which items you wish to display in your Blogger profile.

{Some things to keep in mind are...

❀If you enter giveaways on blogs then you may wish to select the "Show my email address". This will enable a blogger to contact you should you win.

❀Keep your lists of interests brief, you don't want your visitors to get lulled to sleep.

❀You may want to avoid using your real name if you're blogging under your business name as this will help with business recognition and you can always sign your posts and comments with your real name so others get to know you.

For now, we're going to work in the "Select Blogs to Display" area, so click that blue link...

In this area you will see a list of the blogs you have assigned for your profile. You can easily click the box to the left of the blog name to select or deselect the blogs you wish to display...

Once you are finished click the blue "Save Settings" button...

To return to the previous screen simply click the blue "edit profile" link at the top of the page...

You can then make any other changes or additions to your profile...

And once you are finished click the orange "Save Profile" button...

That's it! You've now successfully edited your profile. You can return to this area at any time to update your profile and add or delete the visibility of any new blogs you may add.

Enjoy!

Now all of my tutorials in one fabulous package for one low price

How to: Keep it Clear - using clear background images

2010-10-01T17:31:00.002-04:00

This tutorial will help solve the issue where clear png images show a white background. First an explanation...

Clear Images

Loading Images:

Adding an Image to Your Sidebar

Adding an image to a Blog Post

The same rule applies when you're including an image in your blog post and so it's important to pay special attention to the "Add Image" feature and load your images large if they're clear backed...

Size does matter - keep it large

I hope this info has been helpful and I hope to see more and more clear backged images around blogland. Remember, if you need specific help just leave a comment and if you need any help beyond the basics highlighted above, be sure to visit my Tutorials section for step-by-step instructions.

You can also find a complete set of my tutorials in pdf format listed for sale in my shop.
Enjoy!

Blogger Changes - Tutorial Updates

2010-05-22T18:36:00.001-04:00

You may have noticed recently the back-end of your blog has undergone some changes. It's especially noticeable for those who are trying to follow along with one of my (or the many other) online tutorials. So I'm here to try and shed some light on a few changes, at least until I have the time to revamp my tutorials, in the hope this will alleviate some confusion ~ not to mention frayed nerves and potential headaches.

"Design"

The first noticeable change is the old "Layout" link has been replaced with the new "Design" link...
This is noticeable in the top right corner when visiting our own blog (assuming you're signed into your blog).
This change came about when Blogger added the new Design feature they offer which enables bloggers to choose from a wide array of blog themes, layouts, and templates.Gone as well is the old "Layout" tab, which has been replaced by the new "Design" tab...
Most of the same items can be found under this newly named tab although some have been moved, which brings us to the next change...

"Templates"

Where there used to be an option to "Pick New Template"...

The feature for locating and changing your template (old style template - such as Minima or Minima Black), can now be found under the "Design" tab.

Simply click on the "Edit Html" link found under the Design" tab...
Then scroll down the page and below the orange "Old Templates" you'll find a blue "Select Layout Template"....
Click here and you will have access to the older version templates which are suitable for the backgrounds I create as well as many other graphic designers...
Beyond these changes, it appears Blogger is putting alot of effort into other modifications, some good and some bothersome. Perhaps many of you noticed recently that comments were either missing or delayed in showing up, or when you tried to add or modify a sidebar item a title was required for the item.

When I encounter nerve racking situations like these I usually run over to my favorite blogging guru at Blog U. It's a great location to find helpful blogging advice and the host, Sharon, is usually very up-to-date on glitches and often has helpful temporary fixes.

I hope this all helps you enjoy blogging a bit more and helps you navigate the tough times with a little more tranquility.

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How to: Add a Signature

2010-02-01T00:00:00.001-05:00

Recently a customer asked me to add a signature to their blog and so I realized this was something I needed to learn to do. It was surprisingly easy and so below are the simple steps to add a signature to your blog posts.

{Before we begin: You will need a signature in image format - preferably a png with a clear background so any colors or backgrounds will show through. You can either create an image using a graphics program like Gimp or Photoshop or you can purchase a signature image like those for sale in my etsy shop. This image will also need to hosted on a website, I use Photobucket as I find them to be reliable and trustworthy.}

Begin by logging into your blog and navigate to the "Settings" tab...

Next click on "Formatting"...

Scroll down to the "Post Template" box...Then copy the code below and paste it into the box...

The box should now look like this...
Then replace the words "SIGNATURE URL" with the address of where your own signature image is stored. I'll insert mine in the example below...
To finish, click the orange "Save Settings" button...
You'll see a yellow-orange confirmation that your changes have been saved...

Now we'll go over to view the new signature, just click on "Posting"...
The New Post screen opens and there you can see your new signature inserted...Simply click to the left of the signature image to begin typing your blog post and voila! You've added a signature to your blog posts ~ Congratulations!

Enjoy!

Special thanks to my hubby for letting me use his Darkside Metalworks blog for these tutorial examples ~ thanks D♥

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How to: Link Your Blog Posts to Your Twitter Feed

2010-01-25T00:00:00.003-05:00

I can't claim to be an expert on twitter, honestly I find it mostly confusing, but I do have a nifty tool to share for adding your blog posts to your twitter feed. It's especially nice for those of us who don't post on twitter very often because it helps to keep up an appearance of more regular postings on twitter. Having an active twitter feed only helps with increasing a better business following on twitter which can be quite beneficial. And so in this tutorial we will work together using twitter feed to link your blog and twitter account together.

{Special Note: Before we begin you will need to have a twitter profile, a blog and a blog feed set up. If you do not have a blog feed set up yet, simply visit my step-by-step tutorial by clicking here.}

To begin, we will visit http://twitterfeed.com...

Here we will type in our information which can be either your personal name or a business name. Once the information is filled in click the "Create Account" button...

In the next screen we will need to type in a name and the address of our blog feed...

To retrieve you blog feed simply sign into your blog and navigate to the "Design"section (used to be "Layout" tab) and click on the "Settings" tab...

Next click on "Site Feed"...

There you will find your site feed address which you can highlight and right click to copy...

Which you can scroll over to highlight and right click to copy....

Now we will return to twitter feed where we will paste in the feed url and click "Continue to Step 2"...

With your blog feed set up you will now see an list of available sites you can authorize to receive your blog feed. Here we will set up your twitter to accept your blog feed so begin by clicking on "Twitter"...

On the next screen we will click the large blue button to allow twitter feed to link to our twitter account...

And in the next window we'll click "Allow"...

Once completed you will now see your twitter information appear under Active Services...

When you're finished looking over this page you can click "All Done"...

You're now finished and can click the "Go to Dashboard" button for an overview of your feed and services....

Congratulations! You've now set up your blog to feed into your twitter profile. You can return to twitter feed at any time to set up other features such as Facebook. Don't worry if your latest blog posting doesn't show up twitter immediately as the twitter feed checks updates about every hour so it will show up soon.

Enjoy!

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How to: Add Google Analytics to Your Blog

2010-01-23T00:00:00.001-05:00

This tutorial will cover how to add Google Analytics to your blog. Google Analytics is a powerful tracking tool which provides a wealth of information about traffic to your website, blog, or shop. Personally I use it on all of my blogs, my website, and even my etsy shops. It's a huge asset in letting me know what traffic is coming to my sites, where they're from, and what they do on my sites. The information collected is invaluable and with small businesses can even be used to help receive grants or funding.

For today, we'll go through how to add this useful tool to your own blog. So let's begin...

I chose to go to Google Analytics by clicking the link on the Feedburner page but I'm sure you could find it by searching for it in Google...
This takes us to the main sign up page for Google Analytics where we'll click the "Sign Up" button...
On the next page we will fill in our blog address, exactly as it appears on the main page of our blog...
Next we'll fill in the name we wish to use for the account...
And then you'll change the country if necessary and the time zone to your location...
Then click the "Continue" button...

On the next page you'll fill in your name and the country you live in again, then click "Continue"...
On the next page is the user agreement...
Special Note:} I know these are a dime-a-dozen on the internet but I do like to look them over, especially if it's a company I'm not that familiar with.

We'll click the check box and then click "Create New Account"...
On the next page you'll see a gray second with alot of code in it...

You will be copying this code and pasting it into a gadget on your blog so the first thing you'll need to do is highlight the code by dragging your mouse over it and then right clicking on the code and selecting "Copy"...

Now, return to your blog and click on "Customize" on the top right side....

Navigate to the "Design" (used to be "Layout") tab and click "Add a Gadget"...
In the pop-up window select "HTML/JavaScript" by either clicking on the title or the blue plus symbol...
In the next screen paste the code you copied into the blank area, then click "Save"...

You will now see the new "HTML/Javascript" gadget box...

I like to keep this box at the bottom of my sidebar to ensure I don't accidentally tamper with it so we'll move the box down by clicking and dragging it...
Be sure to click the orange "Save" button after moving your sidebar gadgets around as this will save the new positions. You can verify the changes have been saved when you see the orange/yellow confirmation message in the middle of the screen...
Now you're ready to return to Google Analytics. Return to the page you were on and click "Save and Finish"...
On the next page we'll see the list layout of the websites or blogs you have under this Google Analytics account...
Notice the small warning symbol next to view report. This is present because Google Analytics hasn't confirmed the code has been placed on your blog yet. There are some changes and additions we can make while we wait for your blog to be confirmed so let's take care of those...

The next thing we'll do is click on the blue "Edit"....

This takes up to a screen which shows a more detailed view of your information...
We'll begin by working in the top section where we can change some of the information so click on "Edit"...
A drop down section will open where we can fill in missing information...
Fill in as much of the information as you can, the "Default page" in this case will be the same as your blog address...
The next section covers E-commerce information and Site Search. If you were accepting PayPal payments on your blog then you would want to set up the E-commerce section so you could track that portion of your blog but in this example we will not be making any changes to these two sections...

Now click the "Save Changes" button...

Next we will set up a Filter. This filter will come in handy when tracking visitors to your blog. We will be inserting your IP address so that Google Analytics knows to ignore your computer each time you visit your blog. That way you'll have a realistic view of the visitors you recieve.

Special Note:} If you use more than one computer to visit your blog then you will need to input the IP address for each computer since in most cases each computer has it's own IP address. The process is simple though and once you learn how to do one you will be able to do it again quite easily.

To begin we will click on "Add Filter"...

On the next screen you'll click on the drop down window next to "traffic from the domains"...

Then select "traffic from the IP addresses"...

Next you'll see an area open up with several boxes. This is where we will be typing in your IP address...

We will now be visiting a website to find out your computer's IP address. Click on this link to visit the website: http://whatismyipaddress.com/

Upon entering the site you will see your personal IP information and your location. The number is show in two locations. Simply write down this number exactly as it appears...

Now return to Google Analytics, give this filter a name like home computer or June's home computer and then type in the number of our IP address...
Then click "Save Change"...
You will now see the filter listed in on the next page. Each time you add another filter this will be added to the existing list...
To return to the main page listing click on "Analytic Settings" at the top left...

Upon returning to the main page you should now have a green check next to view report...

You can click "View report" to get a feel for your new report however the data is always a day behind so there won't be any information to view until the following day. You statistical data will continue to increase as time goes on because there will be more information collected from your blog. You can return to this page as often as you like to view statistical information on your blog and other sites can be added at anytime.

Enjoy!

UPDATE:} It may take up to 24 hours for Google Analytics to confirm the code has been placed on your blog so if you don't see the green check don't panic. Simply revisit Google Analytics the following day. If the green check still isn't present then you will need to reinstall the code on your blog again.

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How to: Setup a Subscribe Button for Your Blog

2010-01-20T00:00:00.001-05:00

This tutorial is a continuation of the How to Setup a Feed (Feedburner) for Your Blog. If you haven't already done so, follow the link above to set up your feed before continuing on.

For those of you who are continuing, let's begin...

Special Note:} This tutorial will cover adding an frame tag or image to the sidebar of your blog. You should have already found an image you wish to use and saved it to your computer. If you need help locating and image you would like to use you may visit my Extras page for a list of frame tags.
Additional Special Note:} You will once again need the address of your blog Feed which you used in the last tutorial. You can return to www.feedburner.com/your feed name to view this information again.

You will want to navigate to the "Design" tab (used to be "Layout") and click on "Add a Gadget"...
A pop-up window will appear. Scroll down to the Picture selection and click on either the word "Picture" or the plus sign next to it...

In the next window be sure the "Shrink to fit" is UNCHECKED and then click the "Browse" button...

Navigate to where you have the image saved on your computer, click on the image and then click "Open"...

In the "Link" box type or paste the link to your Feedburner address...

Then click the orange "Save" button...
Your new picture image now appears in the sidebar of your blog. You can move it to a different location in your sidebar by clicking and dragging the box...
Just remember to click the orange "Save" button if you rearrange your sidebar gadgets.

That's it! You now have a button set up on the sidebar of your blog which enables your visitors to subscribe to your blog feed. Congratulations!
Enjoy!

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How to: Setup a Blog Feed - for Feedburner

2010-01-19T00:00:00.002-05:00

This tutorial will cover how to setup a feed for your blog. This is an important aspect of hosting a blog as it allows your visitors to subscribe to your blog postings through a number of methods. I often find it easier to keep up to date with blogs I like to read by subscribing to their newest postings via email. This means whenever they publish a new posting I receive an emailed copy of what they published. It's a great way to keep up to date, I can read their blog from the comfort of my email's inbox and then visit their blog at my convenience to leave a comment.

So on with setting up your own blog feed for your blog...

We will be by going to http://feedburner.google.com. There you will see a screen as below...

Begin by typing in the link to your own blog, exactly as it appears on your blog. You can copy it from the browser's address bar from the main page of your blog. Once this is completed click "Next"...

On the next screen be sure to click the bottom radio button next to your blog's name with RSS, then click "Next"...

On the next page you will title your blog's feed and create a feed address...
I like to change the capitol letters to lowercase since it's easier for others to find and lessons the chance for mistakes. Once completed, click the "Next" button...

You will then receive a confirmation that your feed is now live. Click the "Next" button...

On the next page you will see the actual address of your feed. Make a note of this of this or copy it and then click the "Next" button...

On the next page you can add features to your feed. These are all free and help you to track the activity on your feed. I like to add the Click-thrus and Stats as they are useful tools. Once you're finished making any changes, click the "Next" button...

On the next page you will see a list of information. These are all links to handy tutorials which can help you further investigate the other advantages Feedburner has to offer...
Above this area you will also see a list of tabs. This is where you can return to view the Stats and other features associated with your feed...

For now, we just want to add the feed to your blog so we will click on the small feed icon at the top under the title...
Next we will see the actual page where your subscription options are located. Here is where you will want to copy the link for your feed from your browser's navigation bar...
We will now return to your blog to add this information into the back pages of your blog. Go to your blog and sign in if you are not already signed in. Click "Design" (used to be "Customize") from the main page of your blog...
Next click the "Settings" tab...

Then click the blue "Site Feed" under the tabs...

In the box next to "Post Feed Redirect URL" either type in or paste in the address of your feed...
Also be sure the drop down menu above the feed url is set to "Full"...

Once the address of your feed has been entered then click the orange "Save Settings" button...

You're now finished and have successfully set up a feed for your blog. To continue on and add a "Subscribe" button to the sidebar of your blog click the link below...

"How to: Add a Subscribe Button to Your Blog"

Enjoy!

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How to: Work with "Pages"

2010-01-16T00:00:00.003-05:00

I've had alot of requests from visitors looking for help with how to create pages and so I thought today I would write a little tutorial about Blogger "Pages". Creating pages is a fairly new feature Blogger added to their growing repertoire of bells and whistles. It's a great feature because the pages you create can be added to a link bar which will automatically display either on the top or sidebar of your blog.

Now I have to be honest and say that although the feature of being able to add stand alone pages to blogs is a great addition, I have found some glitches with the pages' formatting and found they can be a bit frustrating even for those of us who maneuver comfortable around html. With that said if you're looking for a quick way to add a simple list or some images you should find this a pretty handy tool. So let's get started with learning about "pages"...

To begin, you'll need to log-in to your blog and either click on"New Post" from the front page of your blog...

Or navigate to the 'Posting" tab...

Next click on "Edit Pages" (this may be a bit confusing, especially if you haven't created a page yet but this is where you begin)...
On the next screen there's a handy link to learn more about pages but for now you'll just click on the blue "New Page" button...

On the next screen you will see what looks similar to the "New Post" layout you should already be familiar with (if you're not familiar with how to create a new post, you can learn more my visiting this tutorial link)...
These sections include a title area (#1), tool bar (#2), writing area (#3), post options (#4), and publish & save buttons (#5).

For my example I'm going to create a simple list with links and an image but you can add anything you wish, from a selection of personal photos, to an About Me page, to a list of links, the choices are nearly limitless...

Some features will appear slightly differently than with the regular blog post layout, such as when you add a link or an image...

But play around with them and you'll become comfortable with them.

You'll even notice a pop up rectangle appear over links and images which allows you to easily modify the item...
To make this rectangle disappear either click the X or click anywhere in the writing area.

To add an image to your page click on the "Insert Image" button...
Click on the "Browse" button in the pop-up window and navigate to your saved image...

You'll see a small example of the image you selected. If everything looks good then click the Ok button...

Once the image is loaded you have several options including resizing and repositioning the image...
You can also change the font style as in a regular blog posting by highlighting your text and clicking on the "Font" icon...

Once you have all the elements added to your page you're ready to publish it.

To publish your page click on the orange "Publish Page" button...
The process is nearly completed, now you'll need to decide how you want to link to the page you just created so the world can find it.

On the next screen you will be asked how you want the page gadget to appear. Here are some explanations...

The first two choices are text lists that automatically link to the pages you create. Each time you add a new page you will be asked this same question so the newest page you create can be added to this list if you like...

The third choice is "No Gadget" which is the choice if you wish use an image to represent your page link as in the example below...

Copy the link to the page by highlighting the url...

If you choose to add your own image for the link then be sure to click on "View Page" on the next screen to copy the address of your new page....
Next add a linkable image by returning to the back area and clicking on "Add a Gadget" under the layout tab...

Then click the "Picture" selection...

Click on the "Browse" button and navigate to the image you are going to use then click the "Open" button...

Once your image has been loaded then paste the link to your page into the "Link"section...

Review to make sure everything is correct and then click the orange "Save" button...

A yellow/orange confirmation message will appear in and you may click "View Blog" to view your new page image link...

If you wish to make any changes to your pages in the future, simply follow the first steps above to return to the "Edit Pages" area and click on the appropriate link ...

Enjoy!

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How to: Write a Blog Post

2010-01-15T00:00:00.001-05:00

In this tutorial we will write a blog post, add a few images and a clickable link. This is a great tutorial for beginners or for those who wish to understand how to add images to their blog postings.

I'm going to use this blog I set up for my husband's chain maille business as an example of a business blog. So let's begin...

If you are not already on the "New Post" page then you will need to log into your blog and navigate to the "New Post" page by clicking on "New Post" at the top right of your blog...

This is the page you should see...

Here you will title and write your blog post. You might want to start with who you are and why you're beginning your blog...

Adding images to your postings is an important part as they can often be eye catching and draw visitors into staying longer and reading what you have written. To add an image to your blog click on the "Add Image" icon...

A pop-up window will appear where you will need to choose where you want the image to appear in your blog post and what size you wish the image to appear as. If I'm writing a post and want my words to wrap around the image with it set off to one side then I select small or med. If I want my image to be under or above my writing then I select med or large depending on the size of the actual image...

Special Note: Image Sizing} It's important to pay attention to the actual size of the images you use in your blog postings. The larger the image the more time it takes to upload and the more it affects the actual size of the image in your blog post. I usually try to reduce my images down to around 600 pixels or less if I don't want the image to appear too large in the blog post.

Next click on the "Browse" button...
Another pop-up window will appear where you can navigate to find the image you wish to include in your blog post.
Special Note: Organizing} I like to keep all the images I use or will use for blog postings in one folder. This helps me when planning my blog posts and makes it easier to find the images I want to use.
Click on the image and then click "Open"...

If this is your first blog post and you have never added an image before then the "Upload Image" button will be grayed out. You will need to click the box next to the "Terms of Service" before continuing...
Once completed the "Upload Image" button is now fully orange and you can click to continue...

The next window you see will show your image. Click the "Done" button to continue...

Your image is now in the box of your blog post. All images are automatically inserted at the top of your blog post so now you may need to reposition the image. If so, then you can do this in one of two ways...
Either click on the image and drag it to it's new location....
Or, click on the image and right click and select "Cut" (this works on Windows based computers)...
Then place your cursor where you want the image to appear, right click and select "Paste" to paste the image in to it's new location...

And voila! You now have an image in your blog post...

Special Note:} In the example above the image inserted was a signature much like the little rose and wings I use for my signatures. These add a nice touch to a blog when used.

Now there is one nuisance to adding images to your blog postings and that is the pesky space that appears at the top of your blog posting each time you add an image. I always prefer to eliminate this space especially when adding alot of image such in the case of this tutorial posting you're reading...
To eliminate this space simply click in the empty line and then click the "delete" button on your key pad. The space will be removed and everything will appear orderly...

I find repetitiveness always helps me remember something I'm trying to learn so lets add another image to our blog posting. Once again you'll click on the "Add Image" icon...

Select the size and location you wish to use with this next image...
Navigate to the location where the image is saved on your computer, click on the image and then click "Open"...
Next click on the orange "Upload Image" button...
And your image now appears in the posting...
Once again the pesky space has appeared...

but you know how to remedy the situation by clicking in the space and hitting your "delete" button on the keyboard...
Another important ingredient to a blog post are links, they help make postings more interactive and informative. To add a link to the blog post we will first find something to link. I'm going to add a link below the posting to my husband's shop so first I will write the words...
Next we will highlight the text by dragging the mouse over the words while holding down the left mouse button. We will then click on the "Link" icon....
We will then type in the exact link as it appears in the browser's navigation bar...
Special Note:} It's important the link is typed in EXACTLY as it appears. If one small mistake is made the link will not work properly so. A trick I use to avoid these headaches is to visit the website I want for the link, highlight the link in the navigation bar of my browser and right click to copy the link. I then come back to my blog posting and paste the link into the box. This helps avoid any errors that might occur from me trying to manually type the address.

Once the address is in the box then click "Ok"...

With that you're now ready to wrap up some final pieces and publish your blog post. The next thing we will do is to add a few keywords or "Labels" to your blog posting. This will help others to find your postings through the search feature in your blog. It will also help to categorize the different postings you may write.

So select a few words that relate to what you have written about. Be sure to only use lower case letters and separate each word or group of words with a comma...
The final item we will go over is setting the "Post Options" for your posting...
Click on the blue "Post Options" and a section will appear below, allowing you to adjust the reader comments and the post date and time...

Special Note:} After the next few steps I will return to show you how to "Schedule" a blog posting in advance so you may wish to just read along through the next few steps until we return again to the Post Options section.

Once you have reviewed the date and time you can finish by clicking the orange "Publish Post" button...

You can then click on either "View Post" or "View Blog" to see your blog post...

You can take a look at your final blog posting. If for any reason you need to make changes you can always click on the little pencil under your blog posting. This will take you directly back to the editing area of your blog...

Now back to adjusting the post date and time for scheduling...

Adjusting the date and time further ahead than today's date is a great way to prepare blog postings in advance. By changing the date to a later day, and clicking the orange "Publish Post" button...

Your posting will then appear in the "Edit Posts" list as "Scheduled"...

This tool is handy for our busy lives when we don't have time to blog everyday. Having frequent postings on your blogs helps to keep visitors coming back for more. It's simple really, people like to visit an active blog so this tool can help those of us who need to schedule our time.

You can always open or edit a pending post by clicking the blue "Edit" button...

That's it! You've written and published your first blog post and have added some images and a link or two, congratulations!

Enjoy!

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How to: Setup a Blog

2010-01-13T00:00:00.003-05:00

With this tutorial we're going to the very beginning with "How to Set Up a Blog". There are many out there who would like to jump on the blogging bandwagon but just don't know where (or how) to begin. If you fit this scenario then this tutorial is for you!

When it came to setting up my own blog I chose Blogger over Typepad or Wordpress. While each had it's own unique qualities and attributes I preferred the easier format that Blogger offered as well as added bells and whistles. Blogger blogs are relatively simple to learn the lay of the land and they offer loads of fun tweaks when in comes to style and design, ie., fun & pretty backgrounds, etc.

So off we go with "How to Set up a Blog" on Blogger...

Special Note:} To view larger versions of the example images just click on the image itself. Then use your back button to return to this page.

To begin with we'll visit, www.blogger.com, where you will see the page below. You'll begin by filling in some personal and contact information. Once completed you'll click the orange "Continue" button...

Next you will fill in a title for your blog and create the actual address. Give this step some thought as you will want to choose a name you will like for a long time. You can type in the name and click the blue "Check Availability" to see if that blog address is being used or is free. Once completed you'll click the orange "Continue" button...

The next page will be where you will select a template. {Special Update: Blogger recently changed this section. It used to be that the default template was Minima however now you can select from a variety of templates. If you wish to use one of the many original artistic backgorunds created by graphic designers like myself, you will need to select any template (doesn't matter) and then change it later to the Minima template.}

By default your blog template is set as Minima which is the template of choice if you are interested in trying out all the fun blog backgrounds that many of my fellow designers and I enjoy sharing. So go ahead and click the orange "Continue" arrow again...

At this stage you're blog has been created and you can continue on by clicking the orange "Start Blogging" arrow...

The next screen is the area where you can write your first blog post. At this point you can either click the "View Blog" at the top of the page...

Or you can write your first blog posting...

Click here to continue on and learn "How to Write a Blog Posting"...

Enjoy!

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Adding a Guest Author to Your Blog

2010-01-12T00:00:00.002-05:00

Below are instructions for adding a guest author to your blog, either temporary or long term. This feature comes in handy if you need help with your blog or if you would like to host a guest writer.

It's safe and lasts as long as you like because you're in control of who you invite to "join" your blog and you can delete them at any time. You will never give out your own log-in information but instead you will invite the guest author to log in using their own user name and password. It only takes a few minutes so lets begin...

This tutorial is used in conjunction with my "Helping Hands" feature which you can learn more about by clicking here.

Adding an Author (Guest User)

First, log into your blog and click on "Design" (used to be "Customize") from the main page of your blog or navigate to your "Dashboard"...

Next click on the "Setting" tab...

You'll then click on "Permissions" on the right side of the menu choices....

You will then see a list of the "Blog Authors" for your blog, which in most cases will be just you and your email address.

To add an author click on the blue "Add Authors" button...

A drop down menu will open, with an area where you can type in an email address...

Fill in the email address of the person you are inviting to join your blog and then click the orange "Invite" button...

You will now see an entry under your name with the email address of the person you invited, along with the date your invitation was sent, and an option to "invite again" and "remove".

Once the guest user has accepted your invitation you will see them listed along with you in the "Blog Authors" area...

Adding Privileges

If you are adding the guest author to help out with your blog then you will need to grant them administrative privileges. This will ensure they are able to navigate the back end pages of your blog and make changes. To this you will return to this area by following the steps above until you see this page...

Next click on the blue "grant admin privileges" next to their name...

A pop up window will open confirming you want to make this change and you'll click the orange "Grant Admin Privileges" button...

Once completed you will see their information listed along with your own and the new option of revoking the privileges...

Removing a User

When you are ready to remove the guest user from your blog return to this same area which you may do so by following the steps above and clicking on "remove" next to their name...

Once again a pop-up window will appear asking to confirm your selection which you may do by clicking the orange "Remove Blog Member" button...

Once completed you'll see the list return to as it was before and a yellow/orange confirmation message will appear confirming your change...

That's it! You're now skilled at adding and removing guest users to your blog.

Enjoy!

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How to: Setup a Three Column Blog Layout

2010-01-10T00:00:00.006-05:00

One of the common misconceptions is that you can create a 3 column layout using Minima and the Blogger Design Template but unfortunately Blogger did not create this option. For this reason it's necessary to modify the Minima template by hand in the actual html section of your blog. Rather than rewriting a tutorial I am instead sharing an excellent tutorial from another site since I just can't post a better tutorial than the one found on Three Column Blogger. They make working within html and CSS scripts as easy as possible and I've found this tutorial to be the least glitchy.

{Plan Ahead: Switching your blog from a 2 column to a 3 column can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours and sometimes all day, simply depending upon you and your comfort level with html so plan ahead, bring some coffee (or tea) and have a go at it, but definitely give yourself enough time, just in case.}

Backup ~ Backup ~ Backup... I can't emphasize enough how important it is to save a backup of your current template before you begin changing things, so be sure to click that important "Download Full Template" link before you begin, to save a copy of your current template to your computer...
If you run into a problem later you can always select to upload your template to revert back to how it was before your began working on your blog. (a safety net is ALWAYS a good thing)

So here's a link to that tutorial, just click here and once you're finished you can visit my backgrounds page to find a lovely 3 column theme and as always...

Enjoy!

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How to: Erase Pesky Lines - Around Images

2010-01-07T00:00:00.002-05:00

When I first began to write the title for this posting I thought ahh, if only I knew how to erase a few other lines, like those beginning around my eyes but... Alas, my posting is not so magical but it will help you get rid of the lines or borders you see around images on our blogs. Personally I don't care for them and I like the way a blog looks without them so I'm sharing another tutorial with you about how to make the disappear, whoot! Sooo, let's get started...

{Disclaimer: Although I've only tested this method using a Minima theme I imagine it should work no matter what theme you're currently using - no guarantees though so that's my disclaimer.}

To begin with, you'll want to log into your blog and then navigate to the "Design" section (used to be "Layout"), by clicking "Design" on your blog.
Updated image...

Then under the "Design" tab click on "Edit html"...

On the next screen you'll see the actual code for your current blog layout. This code is in what's called CSS or Cascading Style Sheets.

At this point you're going to want to save a back up of your current theme. This will ensure if you make a mistake you'll have a back up to use.
To do this click on "Download Full Template"

A pop-up window will open. Be sure the "Save File" is checked and then click "Ok"

Once this is completed you can navigate to where your files are saved, mine are always saved on my desktop. Verify you've successfully downloaded the file by simple checking to be sure a file that resembles the image below is present on your computer. You don't need to do anything further with this file right now, it's just there as a back up.

Next we'll begin to change the code to delete those pesky lines....

To begin, you're going to need to find the code in your CSS. To do this I like to use the "Find" feature in my browser, it makes searching for something on a web page SO much easier.

In the Firefox browser this feature is under "Edit"/"Find"

In Internet Explorer it's under "Edit"/"Find on this Page"

With your "Find" feature open, type in the word "Header ", excluding the parenthesis and being sure to include a space after the word.
This should bring up a section which looks like this...

If not then click on "next" in the "Find" tool to find the next entry of the word "Header" or simply scroll slightly up and down to view what text lays above or below the current view.

Now that you've found the CSS section we're going to be focusing on these two sections outlined in red...

And next we're going to focus on the two lines underlined in red...
You'll want to change them both so they look like this, being sure to pay close attention to exact punctuation and spaces...
You've now removed the image lines from around your blog banner.

The next step will be to remove the lines/border from around your blog images such as those which appear in your posts.

To do this let's use the "Find" feature again only this time you're looking for the "Posts" section so type in posts.

Once you've found the Posts section navigate scroll down several lines down until you see the following text, outlined here in red...

Once again we're going to change the border text from this...To this...

That's it! You can now click "Save Template" and "View Blog" to view your changes...

Problems? If for any reason you've experienced some problems and your blog doesn't appear the way the way you expected, don't panic... you can use the backup template we downloaded at the beginning to fix any errors.

To do this click on "Customize", then the "Layout" tab and finally "Edit html" to return to the CSS area...

Here we're going to the use the "Upload a template from a file on your hard drive" feature...

Simply click on "Browse", navigate to the file backup, click on the file and click "Open"

Then click on "Upload" to load the file...

Once you've uploaded the file simply click "Save Template" and you're back to the way things were. Don't be afraid to try again and experiment, as long as you have a copy of the original file you're always safe.

Enjoy!

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How to: Install a Decorative Sidebar Button/Badge - copying html code

2010-01-06T00:00:00.002-05:00

I've decide to include this tutorial in the Inspiration Avenue "Learn Your Lesson" blog party. As a member of this team I have the honor of sharing the stage with many other talented artists. e sure to stop by their blog to view other helpful tutorials by clicking the button below.

And now on with the tutorial....

With the tutorial below you'll learn how to install an html code button on the sidebar of your blog. They're fun to add and really very simple so don't let the look of the html code scare you away from trying. Let's begin....

First find a button you would like to add to the sidebar of your blog. You can visit my buttons page or any of the other wonderful graphic designer blogs that offer fabulous sidebar buttons.

Once you have located a button or image you would like to use, you will need to either copy and paste the code into a Notepad file on your computer or open a new tab in your browser....

Copying Code to Notepad:

Open a new browser tab:

{Special Note: Personally I use Mozilla Firefox for my browser but Internet Explorer now offers this tab feature as well and it's a really handy tool for working between different websites. The choice is also yours as to which of the methods above you feel more comfortable using.}

Next go to your own blog and sign-in...

Then navigate to the "Design" tab (used to be "Layouts" tab) ...

Next click on "Add a Gadget"...

A pop-up window will appear, now click on HTML/JavaScript...

The window now changes to a black area...

Find the code to the button you wish to use, either by going to the Notepad file you created or by navigating back to the page in the other open browser tab.

Then copy the entire code and paste it into the open window box...

At this point you can title the button if you like and then click save...

Once the pop-up window closes you will see a confirmation of your new "Page element" and the new element will appear at the top of your sidebar...
You can move your new button around by clicking on it and dragging it to a new location in your sidebar(1), just remember to click the orange "Save" button(2) to save the new location of the button. A yellow/orange confirmation message will appear (3)...

Once you are finished click "View Blog" to view your new button....

And voila! You've just added your own html image to your blog, congratulations!
Enjoy!

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How to: Install Decorative Sidebar Tags/Images

2010-01-05T00:00:00.007-05:00

So you've decide you would like to spice up your blog with a few fancy sidebar tags or images but just can't quite figure out how to accomplish it... well, no problem. Here are some helpful instructions to get you on your way....

{Before you start: There are a few things we'll need to do before we start...

1. For this tutorial you will need a selection of sidebar tags or images. You can find coordinating sidebar tags for each of my themes on the individual theme pages. Be sure you've already downloaded the tags you want to use on your blog by clicking on the download button found in one of the tag postings on my blog. Clicking that button will take you to a site where you will download the tags onto your own computer. I like to save mine to my desktop so I can easily find them later.

2. Next, grab a blank piece of paper and pen/pencil and head over to your blog. Take a look around at the links, tags, and other goodies you have on your sidebars. Now is the time to decide what tags you'll want to use from the set you downloaded. You'll also need to write down all the links you'll need to associate with those tags you'll be adding to your blog.

To find out the link to a tag or image simply roll over the image with your mouse pointer and the address will appear in the bottom left hand corner of your browser (works in Internet Explorer and Firefox). Once you have your list together you're ready to continue on with installing your new tags.}

*Then begin by logging into your blog.

*Next click on "Design" found in the top right corner of your blog or navigate to your "Dashboard" and click on the "Design" tab.

Click on "Add a Gadget"...

Next scroll down to "Picture" and click the blue plus symbol...

In the next pop-up window we will work with a few features. The first is to uncheck the "shrink" box, this will ensure your image stays it's proper size...

Next click the "Browse" button and navigate to one of the frame images you have saved on your computer. Click on that image and then click "Open"...
Now, remember those links you wrote down before you started? This is the time to grab that list. Depending upon which tag you selected to load first, find the corresponding link you wrote down and type that in to the field next to "Link"...With the image tag and link information in place you can go ahead and click "Save".

If you wish to move your new button around to a different location since blogger automatically adds new gadgets to the top of the column, do that now and then be sure to click the orange "Save" button to secure it's new location in your layout...

With that done you can click "View Blog" to see how your new tag looks and check that the link work properly. You'll probably want to wait until all of your new tags are in place before you delete any of the preexisting links you had on your blog before. That way there's no confusion and the links are still there in case you wrote down an incorrect link.

With that you should be all set.

Enjoy!

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How to: Install a Decorative Blog Banner/Header

2010-01-04T00:00:00.002-05:00

Below are step-by-step instructions for installing a decorative header/banner on your own blog...

{Before you begin: You should have a banner image already saved on your computer. You can download a free one or purchase one through an online boutique or website. Here is a link to a selection I offer through my blog and for sale in my shop.

Be sure to save your banner in an easy to find location so you can locate it in the future. I like to save mine in a folder and title the folder "blog images".}

Begin by logging into your blog, then click "Design" found in the top right corner of your blog or navigate to the "Design" tab.

Then click on the "Edit" button found in the header section.
A pop-up window will open showing you a number of options.
Be sure the "Shrink to Fit" box is not checked...

Click the "Browse" button and navigate to the saved blog image I mentioned earlier. Click on the image and then click "Open".
You then have the opportunity to set other options. If you're using an image that doesn't have your blog title included you can select the placement of the image to be "Behind title and description".
You can also choose to remove an existing banner and replace it with a new one.
Once you've made your final choices click "Save" to continue.
With that you've completed adding a new header/banner to your blog. You can then click "View Blog" to see how your new banner looks. If you need to make any chances simply follow the instructions above to make you way back to the right windows.

Enjoy!

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How to: Install a Decorative Blog Background

2010-01-03T00:00:00.002-05:00

Here are some step-by-step instructions to help you navigate your way to installing one of my backgrounds on your own blog. Just follow along with the steps below to add a new background template to your blog.

{Remember: All of my backgrounds are made to use with the Blogger Minima template. To see what template you're using on your own blog you can use another tutorial by clicking here}

Ok, let's get started...

{A little explanation: Posted along with all of my backgrounds is a box filled with code... To add a decorative background to your blog you will copy that code from the box and paste it into a sidebar gadget on your own blog.
So to begin you will need to find a background you like and copy the code for it into a temporary location - I like using a text document, such as "Notepad" since it's an easy place to store a simple code.This code is used in an add-on gadget to tell your blog what image to use and where to draw the image from, which is stored on the internet.}

Log into your blog, click on "Design" or navigate to the "Design" tab...
Click on "Add A Gadget"...
Next select "HTML/JavaScript"...
Copy and paste the code from the bottom of any of my backgrounds into the large empty area then click "Save"....

I like to store my blog background gadget at the very bottom of the column so it's out of the way. To do this simply click on the new gadget you just added and drag it down to the bottom.

Then click "Save" - you'll see a yellow confirmation appear to confirm...

Once you've installed one of my backgrounds you can switch them out for new backgrounds whenever you like. Simply navigate to the html gadget box where you pasted the code and paste the new code over the existing one.

Enjoy!

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How to: Change to a Minima Template

2010-01-02T01:00:00.003-05:00

One of the important aspects of using my blog backgrounds is the need to use a Minima template on your blog. This tutorial will assist you in setting up this basic element so you are then free to use any of the many backgrounds and themes available to Blogger blogs.

{Explanation: In the examples below I begin with having one of the many Blogger templates set up on my blog. We often set up our blogs with these themes when we first create the blog and then later find it difficult to navigate back to where the templates can be changed.}

To begin you'll need to sign-in to your blog. From your blog you'll click on "Design" on the top right side...

Next you'll click on the "Design" tab (used to be "Layout" tab) then click on the "Edit Html" link...
I can't emphasize enough how important it is to save a back up of your current template before you begin changing things, so be sure to click that important "Download Full Template" link before you begin, to save a copy of your current template to your computer...
If you run into a problem later you can always select to upload your template to revert back to how it was before your began working on your blog. (a safety net is ALWAYS a good thing)

Now, scroll down the page and below the orange "Old Templates" you'll find a blue "Select Layout Template"....
By default the view will show the current template selected for your blog, in my case I had chosen "Thisaway Rose" which is highlighted in brown in the image below.
Use the slider bar to the right side of the templates to scroll up to the top of the template selections ...

At the top on the left side you'll see the first choice of templates is the Minima selection...

{Explanation: My backgrounds and themes, as well as most of those available online, are created for use with either the Minima or Minima Dark templates. These templates set up a variety of features on a blog including the font colors, link colors, font style, and background color.}

Choices:
Minima is the best choice to use with a theme that has a light colored middle like the one shown below...

Minima Dark is the best choice to use with a theme that has a dark colored middle section like so...

When making your selection and clicking on the circle to the left of the theme name, you will see the small example image above the selections change, as in these examples below...

Minima...

Minima Dark...

Once you have decided which template you wish to use click the orange "Save Template" button ...

As with many features on Blogger you'll see an orange/yellow rectangle appear confirming your selection. If this image does not appear click the orange save button again...

{Explanation: This save feature is an important aspect of working in the background of your blog. Be sure to look for this orange/yellow notice whenever you click to save any changes you have made. This will help ensure you don't loose the work and time you put in to making your blog the way you want it to be.}

Next click on "View Blog"...

Your blog should now be set up with one of the basic Minima backgrounds. You're now ready to explore the wonderful world of blogger backgrounds and themes.

Enjoy!

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