Cutesie Blog Designs

Summer Sale!!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 17 Jun 2012 02:39:00 +0000

It's that time of year again! Time for a great summer sale! Get a fresh look this summer for your blog!

25% off any Custom Design

50% off any Ready for You Custom Design

Get an ADDITIONAL 10% off for you and a friend if you refer someone!

Sale runs through June 30th. All deposits or payments must be made by June 30th at 10pm CST.

Welcome 2012!

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 03:55:00 +0000

Happy New Year!

I have had a wonderful 2 months to cuddle with my little boy! Thank you for all understanding my need to be with him! He is a precious little bundle of joy!

Cutesie Blog Designs is now back in business! Contact me if you are interested in a new design! My turn around time, sadly, is going to be a little slower than before, but now I've got a little more on my plate! :)

I hope 2012 is good to you!

Maternity Leave

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:04:00 +0000

Friends -

I am currently on maternity leave welcoming my new little boy until January 2012. I am only offering Ready For You Templates for blog designs. You can check these out here.

These designs are still fully customizable, but already created to input all of your information! Please email me if you are interested in one of these designs!

Thanks for understanding, and I'll see you next year! :)

INTRODUCING...

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 03:02:00 +0000

Ready for You Designs

Cutesie Blogs is now offering Premade templates for a quick and easy option to your blog. Each design is still custom made for you ready to be personalized with your information. Templates are sold as is and will be customized to your needs (sidebars, title, navigation bar).

Go check them out!

Ready for You Designs

1000 Fan Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 05:56:00 +0000

I have FINALLY reached 1000 fans on my Facebook page! So, that means it's time for a giveaway!

This giveaway is for a Cutesie Package which includes a custom background, header, and coordinating font for post titles and sidebar titles. You may also use this as a $25 credit toward any other package and/or service! Here are a few examples of the Cutesie Package:

HOW TO ENTER:

(for each entry, please leave your email address)

MANDATORY ENTRY

Leave a comment below with your favorite Cutesie Package Design

ADDITIONAL ENTRIES

Like Cutesie Blogs on Facebook (and leave some love on my wall)
Write a blog post about Cutesie Blogs on your blog (leave the link in your entry)
Leave a comment on your Facebook status about this giveaway (you must link Cutesie Blog Designs)
Follow me on Twitter (@cutesieblogs)
Tweet about this giveaway (must include @cutesieblogs in your tweet) (1 entry per day)

Good Luck! Giveaway closes Saturday, August 20 @ 10:00pm CST

Design Terminology

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 04:17:00 +0000

I've had quite a few questions in the last few months about the terminology and no knowing what I was referring to when I communicated with them. Hopefully this will help answer any questions you might have.

Here are some definitions for the blog design. I will use this blog as a reference

- Header: The image at the top of the page that has the title
- Background: The designs/colors that are on the right and left sides (Mine is just plain white, but if you look at this one, you will see the damask sides that is the background)
- Sidebars: The narrow text areas on either side of the main text area These are not links. They are titles for the content that goes on the sides(I have 3 columns - 2 sidebars with the main text area posting in the middle - these include the "Quick Links, Cutesie Blogs, Followers", etc. See a 2 column blog with only one sidebar here)
- Divider: This is the image that shows up under each post (This is the polka dot design at the bottom of each post)
- Signature: This is the image of your name (usually with an element next to it - the flower plus my name)
- Navigation Bar: This is the menu at the top (Home, About, etc.)
- 3-Column Layout: This is when you would have 2 narrow areas of content along with the main text area(like on this site)
- Grab button: A button so others can get the code directly off of the page to put on their site - Can also be used for advertising on other sites
- Connect Buttons: The little buttons that link directly to your social media places. Most commonly used are facebook, twitter, RSS Feed, and Email subscription. (See this post to learn more about specific connect buttons)

That is all of the major elements that you may use. If you have any questions about any of these, or others you've seen before, feel free to email me!

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 07:48:00 +0000

For my 1 year anniversary of Cutesie Blog Designs, I have decided to update the site just a little bit! After all of the learning I've done with my designs, I thought it might be nice to update my actual site to match! I hope you find that the site is much cleaner and easier to navigate!

****Dont forget about the sale going on now through August 6th!****

It's Been a While

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 22:50:00 +0000

Time for a sale! I have a little less than a month left before I return to work and then have a baby soon after that. So, let's get all of you friends that want a new blog done now before I get busy again!!!!

END OF SUMMER SALE!!!!!

Cutesie Package = $20

Very Cutesie Package = $32

ULTRA Cutesie Package = $40 (BEST DEAL!)

If you just want a few things or want to add on other items, you can get 10% off any other services (excluding grab buttons)

No code necessary - Deal ends August 6

Painted Fresh

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 05:07:00 +0000

Donna found me and needed a little facelift for her blog because she was going to be featured on another blog. So, we didn't have much time to figure out what she needed. She was also my first customer that wanted to call me to discuss our options. She features great painting and craft projects on her blog. She has great activities and projects for you to do and make things better when they've already had their turn. :)

Due to funds, she only could start with the Cutesie Package with the added on button and connect buttons. I know she wants to do more, so maybe we'll do a little more later on!

She was unable to find a kit that she really loved. So I sent her to my portfolio to look at some things that she liked. She sent me several examples, but I was a little torn because some of them were cute, some were sophisticated. Which summarized the whole idea of what we were doing. So, instead of using a kit, I came up with the background and graphics myself. I got her exactly the colors she wanted with the look of playfulness and professionalism in one.

Her connect buttons are equally as cute with the stripe outline as well.

I think we accomplished just what she wanted! It's a bright, fun blog that has so much to offer!

Cars, Trucks, & Teething Rings

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:51:00 +0000

I have been so bombarded with designs that I haven't been able to feature any of my designs! After looking back at where I left off, there are so many cute designs I've done! So, we'll just start where I left off. I may of may not get to everyone, since it's been so long, but we'll see! I'll do what time allows!

I had the pleasure of working with Sarah from Cars, Trucks, and Teething Rings. As you can tell from the button above, this blog is adorable! She came to me with a blog that was dedicated to her boys. The only problem, is she has a girl also! So, she wanted to make it a little less "I love my boys". Sarah hosts giveaways as well as blog hops that great for moms.

I fell in love with the kit that she chose. Of course, anytime someone picks Meghan Mullens, I know I'm in for a great kit! (She's one of my favorite designers!) We used "You Make Me..." as the kit. She loved everything in it! She wanted to make the "Cars & Trucks" boyish, and the "Teething Rings" girly. She was open to any font but had so many cute ones that she suggested.

I used A Truer Blue for the "Cars, Trucks" and Do I Like Stripes for the "and" and one of my favorites, {Oh}Photo Shoot for the "Teething Rings".

For the sidebars, we used Pea Noodle Girlfriends and it was perfect for this. I wanted to keep it simple since she had so many other colors going on. I loved the dots for the navigation bar as well as the sidebars.

Sarah also asked for custom connect buttons. I used the same "buttons" from the navigation bar and removed the images from them to add the different connect icons.

Overall, every time I look at this blog, I am reminded how cute it is! I think Sarah had a great vision that I was happy to carry out. The colors, the fonts, and sunny images, all of it together just makes me smile!

New Services

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:41:00 +0000

As I have ventured more into the world of digital design, I have started dipping into other services besides blog design.

Business Cards - $15 for the design: I can design your business card using images to coordinate with your blog design (in most cases the same images). I can also order them and have them delivered to you via VistaPrint if you need me to. (pricing depends on the number ordered) This will insure that you get the size and requirements you need from the printer. I highly recommend VistaPrint even if you want to order them yourself. I use their standard measurements and requirements for all of my designs unless noted otherwise by you.

Logo Design - $20 design fee + cost of images: I can create a new logo for your business using stock images or images available to me from designers that allow commercial business. Most stock images are an additional cost. The price of the image can range anywhere from $5 - $35 depending on the image you want. I will generally always find the cheapest image I can to get the design that you want. I will also have you approve the image being used before it is purchased so that you are completely satisfied with your logo.

Facebook Profile Pictures for Fan Pages -$15: Most fan pages now are adding the larger, longer profile picture with more information. This would include your logo as well as any other information you want to share with your fans that is important (description of your business, twitter and facebook addresses, etc.)

*All other Facebook graphics are done by my partner Cameon from Getting Social. Please contact her for all of your Facebook tab needs.*

If you have any other requests for design services, please feel free to contact me and we can absolutely talk about your options. I am pretty open to anything if I think I am capable. I will do everything I can to keep my clients happy.

New Designer Site

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:21:00 +0000

I've got another website on my list for graphics to use! (Thank you Cameon from Getting Social!)

Welcome MyGrafico to the design list. :)

This site has some adorable illustrations that can be used as well as papers/backgrounds. The blog package automatically comes with one of these kits, but if you have to use more than one, it will be an additional $5 for each kit. This just helps to cover my cost. :)

I hope this gives you another option for your design needs!

Connect Buttons

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 21:18:00 +0000

Social Media has been a great way to bring in traffic for your blog and website. However, I have noticed that not many people have understood how it works.

Usually, people use twitter, Facebook, and RSS/Email feed to help promote their site. By having simple buttons as links to each of these makes it very easy for a reader to get where they want to go. There are of course other options as well, including Picasa (pictures), Etsy (for their shop), or anything along those lines.

I offer 2 options for these buttons: Standard and Custom.

The only difference between the two if the appearance.

For the standard buttons, I use the logos and colorings that are offered from the websites themselves. ($5 add on)

I can also use square logos as well if you prefer.

The next option is to have me make the buttons Custom. Meaning, I use the logos and incorporate them into the overall look of your design and use the coloring of your blog.

Through Pain & Smiles

Emmy's Closet

(We added the Etsy button for her bow shop)

Painted Fresh

Cars, Trucks, & Teething Rings

Lick My Spoon

(She wanted the text out to the side to bring a little more attention to the buttons)

As you can see, there are a lot of options for these buttons. I usually always suggest the custom buttons, just because they match. But, if you want your readers to recognize the original logos, then go with the Standard Connect Buttons.

Here are some tips for use of the Connect Buttons:

You don't have to use all of the options, but definitely use them if you're going to update these sites.
The email button can be to either subscribe by email (using feedburner) or to email you directly.
The RSS button that Blogger offers works, but some people want to use their own source to read their blogs, which is what Feedburner offers.
If you have a blog that you want traffic for, start a twitter and Facebook account now. You will absolutely start seeing more traffic on your site if you utilize these sites.

If you have questions about these uses, please contact me.

Go get connected! :)

Love Your Blog!

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Tue, 01 Feb 2011 17:22:00 +0000

In honor of Valentine's Day, Cutesie Blog Designs is having a sale just for you! Now is the time to LOVE your blog! Make it yours! And I'm making it possible with a very affordable price.

If you order February 1st - 7th, you will get 20% off any package price or service*, PLUS a free grab button for your site! (Coupon Code: LOVE)
*excluding grab/event buttons

You don't want to wait on this! (Savings goes to 10% February 7th - 14th)

Also, make sure you're a Facebook fan, I will have a big prize for a lucky fan! Stay tuned!

Bethany Hamilton Photography

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sun, 30 Jan 2011 00:09:00 +0000

Bethany contacted me last week to update her photography blog. She had done some excellent work with her previous design using a collage of her photos, but she wanted it to be brought together just a little more. She has some adorable photos to look at and does great work. Her prices seem very reasonable and the product she offers is just perfect.

Bethany chose the kit "Pieces of Me" by Amy Teets Designs. She said the kit had exactly the look she wanted for her site. She loved the color palette of the reds, greens, cream, and black. I sent her several samples of the background, and she chose the dark background which helps make the text area really pop. She does a lot of shadow effect on her photos as well as black and white, which also makes this black background go even better. Bethany sent me a few pictures to use in the header, and I found the frame in the kit that helped accentuate these photos. The kit also came with these perfect fabric flowers that I used to dress up the frames.

I also used the flowers in the sidebars along with the frame for the titles. I used the flowers again in the signature as well.

The ornamental design from the kit was also perfect for the divider. (I love it when the kit provides me with the perfect element for this type of thing!)

If you're in the Mesa, AZ area, you definitely should use Bethany! Her talent is amazing! She has an amazing eye for a great picture! I know you won't be disappointed! Go check her out! (And look how cute her design is!)

(You can also check out more of her work on Facebook)

The Bargain Hunting Mommy

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:38:00 +0000

My friend Cara (from Hot Springs Hitts & Mrs.) had a need for another blog that she does, The Bargain Hunting Mommy. She is a wife and mother and tries to live as simply and efficiently as possible. She blogs about different deals you can get at various places as well as tips to save money.

Cara is so easy to work with because she lets me use my creative juices to create a design that I like! I knew right away that we should use a caricature of a lady shopping. I sent several examples to her, and she loved the look of the first one I sent. I knew right away that we should use the 4 colors (red, orange, yellow, and pink) as polka dots and stripes for the elements. I was able to use a brush I already had for the polkadots and then I created the striped pattern to go around the caricature that I later used for the sidebars as well. Cara is a very fun and energetic person, so I knew I had to match it! I found a couple of fonts that suited the idea nicely. (Pea Lacy Chunky and Tan Patty from Kevin & Amanda)

I incorporated the dots in the divider as well as the navigation bar to create a cohesive look with the whole thing.

I then took the bags from the caricature image and used them for her signature as well.

All in all, Cara has a great website! No matter where you live, she's got great deals and great advice! Check her, and look at the adorable new look she's got going on!

Emmy's Closet

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 23:18:00 +0000

Sara contacted me from Emmy's Closet to update her blog. She originally started the blog to showcase her adorable bows that she makes. The blog ended up turning into something much more than just bows. She blogs about all kinds of things like her family, reviews of products, blog hops, and much more.

Sara had a friend that had designed her logo already for her bows that she used on her Etsy shop and her previous blog. I just loved the little girl that she used! I thought it was just precious. But she wanted more. So, she chose to use the kit "Over the Rainbow" by Kristin Cronin-Barrow. (ironically minus the rainbows!)

The logo was originally white, but I just didn't think a white background would be appropriate! So I got to experiment quite a bit with the select by color feature on GIMP and perfect it to work with a transparent background instead. The logo also also had a handwritten font that she already used. But Sara LOVES fonts, so she said it would be alright if we changed it up a bit! I decided to go with Kwekel and Pea Squeaker from Kevin & Amanda. I thought they were still cute, but not too flashy for the logo.

I was able to use the polka dot background in the great frame that was in the kit to highlight the little girl logo. She wanted to keep it simple, so we added a few elements from the kit to add to it.

For the sidebars, I used the same frame idea with the different colors as well as the 2 fonts.

I added the little flowers from the header for the divider to make a more cohesive look with the flowers on the sides.

I was also able to use the little girl logo for her signature as well.

One of my favorite pieces of the blog is the connect buttons. I thought they turned out so cute! She wanted to have a way for people to subscribe (RSS and Email), go to her Facebook, Twitter, as well has her Etsy shop

I think the whole thing turned out very cute! Sara said it was absolutely perfect! Go check her out! She has some adorable stuff on her site!

The Adventures of a Nursing Student

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 21:13:00 +0000

This design is from a little while ago, but it's so darn cute that I decided I needed to feature it!

Grecia from The Adventures of a Nursing Student contacted me for an update on her blog. She started this blog after getting accepted into nursing school. She wanted a place that she could talk about her journey, as well as anything else going on in her life. She wanted something fun, and also wanted to incorporate the nurse aspect.

She decided to go ahead and add on the caricature. I searched and searched for a nurse that was somewhat of what she wanted. Grecia was hesitant with the selections since most of them were blond and didn't go with the color scheme she wanted. Finally, she made a choice, and thought it would do. Little did she know what the final product would look like! She loved the recolored, brunette haired nurse!

Grecia decided on the kit Sisterly Love by my 2 favorite designers, Meghan Mullens and Kristin Cronin-Barrow. We had to recolor a few of the papers to get her exactly what she was looking for. She asked for mostly pinks and greens, with a tad bit of orange. The kit had a lot of blue in it, but we were able to just use it as a small accent color in the header.

The header used the caricature image, and then the kit came with a perfect round frame. I added the flowers to the side to give it some flair as well as the swirls to give it a little added touch.

Grecia loved the flowers. So I tried to add a few to each sidebar and the divider. The kit came with these cute little journal frames in the 3 colors that I was able to incorporate.

I was able to incorporate the various swirls from the kit as well to create the little whimsical feeling throughout.

One last element that brought the whole thing together was the signature. Grecia had the idea of having a nurse's clog next to her name. I recolored this as well and then added a sweet little flower to it.

The fonts we used for this particular design are from Amanda at Kevin & Amanda.

Oh {Photo} Shoot

Pea Faith

Go take a look at her blog! It's just adorable!

Sew Silly Boutique

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 04:34:00 +0000

I was so excited to get to work with Haley from Sew Silly Boutique when she sent me her questionnaire. She was starting a custom clothing boutique website, and had some great ideas! One of which was the designs that she found on etsy by JW Illustrations. I was so excited to see these illustrations! In fact, JW Illustrations is now on my design list for everyone to choose from! So, thank you Haley for introducing me to her work! I love it!

Anyway, Haley has some ADORABLE clothing and such on her site! I can't wait until I get to start buying things like hers for others and for my future children! She does great work! And it's reasonably priced (for boutique clothing).

Haley told me that she loved the graphics (I do too) and she loved stripes and polkadots as well. She didn't want to make it too girly because she also does boy's clothing. So I wanted to make sure it was cute with the polka dots and stripes, but not make it so pink that is was gender specific. The graphics were very cute and bright and mostly in blue and green which helped.

I decided to incorporate the polka dots into her categories of her side bar.

I also added the custom buttons for Facebook and her Etsy shop with the matching elements on the sidebar.

I just loved the pin cushion! It is so cute! I used the thread again with her signature. Haley selected the 3 fonts from Kevin & Amanda's fonts, and they are so cute as well! (Digs My Hart, Love Letters, and (oh)Photo Shoot)

Haley also asked for a matching business card. I was a little skeptical because sometimes designers really have issues with their designs being used in logos. But, Jessica from JW Illustrations, was very gracious to allow us to use them for the business card as long as we gave credit to her on the website. (Which of course is what I do for all of my designs!)

I love the whole thing! And then when I saw her stuff, I was in love with everything about it! You really should go check it out! You won't be disappointed! (by the design, or the products!)

QPeach

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:59:00 +0000

Don't worry! This is not inappropriate!!! :)

Apparently, Cutesie Blogs is international. I did another blog for a sweet lady in Dubai, as well as another in Singapore and now this one from Japan. Tracy contacted me from my new Facebook page. She sells Japanese fashion push up bras. She just needed a place where she could have her own order site.

Tracy was not interested in doing a whole package, so we just did 3 basic pieces. Background that coordinated with the header (she created the header herself), sidebars with an order form, and a navigation bar.

I came up with the idea of the lace over the pink to go with the look of the bras she was showcasing in the header. I used a lace overlay for the background. I then used it for the sidebar titles as well.

I decided to keep the navigation bar simple and bringing in the hearts that were also used in the header.

The biggest surprise was the installation! I logged on to her Blogger to get everything installed, and the whole site was in Japanese. I had NO idea how to get it to English, so, I just had to go back and forth with my English site and figure out the color the button was, or what number link it was. It was quite the experience!

Tracy hasn't added any of her products yet, but I'm sure she will soon.

MOMS Market

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:45:00 +0000

A while back, I mentioned that I was partnering up with Cameon from Getting Social. If you haven't taken advantage of this great special, you need to! NOW! Because at the end of January, Facebook is not allowing any new tabs to be put on fan pages. If you already have the tabs, they can be edited, but they can't be added. So, take advantage. Anyway, Cameon sent Jennifer from MOMS Market to me. Jennifer puts together a market of business by moms in Alabama and has a little "convention" for them. Cameon works pretty closely with Jennifer, and she had already designed her tabs for Facebook.

Jennifer wanted to start a blog that coordinated with her Facebook tabs. This makes it very easy because I don't have to choose a kit to use, or what color scheme or what kind of idea! I was able to take what Cameon had done and run with it on a larger scale.

She had a pink and black theme going on with swirls and prettiness (is that a real word?) I incorporated this into her background with a pink and black damask pattern.

Jennifer also already had a logo to use, which had little shopping bags in it. I was able to use this idea and use the shopping bags in the kit she used. I used them in the sidebar titles as well as the divider.

The site is used mainly for the event itself, with a place for the information and forms vendors and volunteers need to fill out. The site is still very new as well, so I know there will be lots more to add!

Hot Springs Hitts & Mrs.

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:28:00 +0000

Cara is a friend of mine from high school that lives in Hot Springs, Arkansas. She has been quite the blogger lately. She was probably one of the first friends that I started doing designs for. She graciously let me play and design her personal blog a couple of times for fun. She has started 2 additional blogs since then, and came to me for help. This particular blog is about anything you need to know if you are planning a trip to Hot Springs. Which, if you've never done so, you should. It's beautiful, and there are a lot of unique things to do. I got married there 4 years ago, and it was beautiful, and now my parents live there. It's nothing like you'll ever see anywhere else. Anyway, her blog is to feature some of the places and things to do. The name I think is so clever! Her maiden name is Hitt, and now she's married, so you get the "Hot Springs Hitts & Mrs." with reviews of all kinds of places!

She has the great blogging ideas, but no idea how to design one. She pretty much knew exactly what she wanted. She went out into downtown Hot Springs and took pictures of all of the great historic features of the city. She later sent them all to me and I got to look at them and figure out what would work best for the actual design. I had seen something similar with basic pictures of different activities from another website, and decided that I could implement these pictures in the sidebars. She had 7 different categories she wanted to feature. I did my best to try to find a picture that coordinated to the category. Each of the categories has a cute play on words using "hitt" or "mrs."

I also used a classic picture of the Hot Springs for the post divider.

Overall, I think the blog turned out very classic. It's easy to navigate, easy to read, and has a wealth of information for someone who wants to travel to Hot Springs. It also gave me the opportunity to enhance my portfolio of professional looking blogs that don't necessarily have to be so "cutesie". Go check it out!

Lynsey Lou's

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 17 Jan 2011 05:11:00 +0000

Lynsey contacted me about designing her recipe blog, Lynsey Lou's. She has had a blog for a couple of years of lots of different things, but finally decided to get a great custom design. The main purpose is to share those recipes she has found or created herself.

For the design, she wanted to incorporate her favorite colors pink, green, and brown. She found this adorable design kit by Meghan Mullens, Flavors of Fall. She especially liked the pink damask design, which I incorporated into the sides and background. This kept the design very simplistic.

The header was an important aspect (as it is with every blog!), so I gave her a couple of options to choose from. Ultimately, I was able use the polka dots that incorporated all of the colors as a frame to the title. Lynsey had a few fonts in mind, but we ended up going back and forth until we found JUST the right ones! I think the whole header look makes it look cute and pretty at the same time.

For the sidebars, I wanted to incorporate all of the colors again, but not with the dotted paper. So, I took the colors she used, added a damask pattern to each color, and came up with the different sidebar titles.

She also wanted a clickable button for her amazon store. I figured since it was cooking "hardware", I would try to incorporate those utensils from the header once again. I wanted to make it different from the others also so that readers would know that it is a link, not just a title. I also used a couple of other cooking elements for her signature.

Overall, I think the design is adorable. Lynsey looks like she's got some great resources for great recipes. She will definitely be something I will continue to check on for some new recipes. (Her recipe page is currently under construction, but you can see all of her categories on her sidebar.) She is also from my home state, Arkansas, which always makes me smile when I get to work with someone close by. She was so easy to work with, and I love the way it turned out. Go check her out!

Simple Pleasures

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 04:47:00 +0000

I had the pleasure of working with Sharon from Simple Pleasures. She is a homemaker from Australia that loves to cook, read, garden, and her faith. She blogs about an assortment of things that can benefit many readers. Just today, she posted a recipe for a vegetable chicken soup! It looks so yummy! If my hubby would eat vegetables, I might just have to try to his out! (You do have to convert into our wonderful English measuring system though :)

Sharon came to me from being a reader of Rebekah's blog. She saw what I did with Rebekah's and decided that we could do the same idea with her own. She loved the kit that I used by Lorie Davison. So, I contacted Lorie to see if I could add her to my designer list. Lorie gladly agreed (with an additional fee), so she is now someone I can use. Her work is unique. I have never seen anything like it.

The header didn't start off as a storybook page. It started more with various elements, and she loved almost all of the kit elements, so it was hard to get the look she was going for. It evolved into the storybook look as we continued on. She had a vision of what her header should look like and gave me lots of examples of the things she liked and wanted to try to incorporate. She loved the painted plates, the frames on the walls, and of course a set table with various things. She loves baskets as well, which was a key point in getting her design the way she wanted it. I think I captured her wants pretty well in here.

For the sidebars, I noticed that the kit came with lots of pictures frames. I thought this would be a very simple, yet attractive way to feature her sidebar titles. Sharon has made blog templates before, so she was pretty insistent on the overall layout, leaving her sidebars 350px wide. This is definitely the largest sidebar I've worked with, but I made it work. It allowed for the frames to be a little bit longer so we wouldn't have to scrunch anything.

Sharon wanted to make sure we incorporated teacups and flowers somehow, so I added the divider with the tea pots and small flowers. She definitely loved the idea, and it also incorporated her favorite color - green.

I was worried that I was going to make it look too much like Rebekah's blog, but I think we pulled it off without making it look the same. I was able to use many of the elements I hadn't used previously. I know Sharon loves it, and I'm very pleased myself.

Best of 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Leah) — Sat, 01 Jan 2011 20:18:00 +0000

I have been nominated in 2 categories for Penny Pinching Polly's Best of 2010! Thank you so much!

Now I need your help - GO VOTE!!!

Customer Service - http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=231117485851&topic=14599

Digital Design - http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=231117485851&topic=14600

This would be huge!! Please vote, and tell your friends to vote, and tell their friends to vote! :)