Tutorial- CUSTOMIZING BLOG BACKGROUND

[Nicole Young]

Hey guys! I just put up a tutorial on my blog about customizing your blogs with some FREE backgrounds!

www.nicoleyoungdesigns.blogspot.com

Let me know what you think!!!!

:love2:

[Beachcomber]

Great tutorial, Nicole! Thanks.

[RoadMap4Us]

I've tried it! I had to upload a couple different times to Photobucket before it worked but I now have a much prettier blog. I don't have any content on that blog yet -- but it sure is pretty!

Thanks, Nicole. I followed your tut to the letter and it worked!

[mariafer]

HELP!!! I was oh so very excited with your tutorial cause I have been wanting to pretty up my blog for a while... so... Here is what happened... http://perfectlyandwonderfullymade.blogspot.com/

It repeats it and shrinks it in some... not quite sure why... and definitely not sure what to do about it! Anyway any help would be Oh so appreciated... I used dsp cause I don't have photobucket, I also tried flickr but it did the same thing... Would flickr work? I had to compress quite a bit to get it to work on Dsp... Anyway help!!!

[Nicole Young]

Mariafer---
in your body line
where you entered in background information, add this:
background-repeat-no repeat; (add it somewhere in the background line)

and see if that helps. It looks like your background is trying to repeat itself to the sides. That has never happened to mine before. So I am sort of guessing.

The only other thing I can think is because of the compression when you post to DSP. Photobucket is free. So if the repeat suggestion doesn't work. I would try that.

Let me know if you have any issues with it!

[RoadMap4Us]

Maria -- that's exactly what happened to me the first time!!! I used Photobucket to upload the background (so I'm not sure how to help you if you are using DSP). But if you go to Photobucket, I was able to correct this by re-uploading with a specific setting in Photobucket.

Photobucket has a little box that requires you to indicate what size monitor you want this photo to display on. The very last selection is to upload with a full-meg pix. I finally got rid of the repeating background by uploading with that last selection used. In other words, I had to re-upload from my computer into Photobucket with that last selection used. THEN when I copied the URL into Blogger, the background looked just fine.

Hope that helps (that is, if you want to go through Photobucket).

[mariafer]

thanks... off to try both... if the repeat doesn't work I guess I will have to try photobucket... :)

[mariafer]

So I did it but it still repeats... atleast it isn't on top of the words... But it is still repeating... :(! It still looks cuter than before but maybe I just need to make a bigger template? I have a wide screen... http://perfectlyandwonderfullymade.blogspot.com/

[Nicole Young]

Maria--I have a wide screen too. ANd when I look at your blog, its not repeating at all. It look right

[mariafer]

Now that is odd... cause it is repeating on mine... Will ask around to the 4 souls that read my blog and see what they see... Kind of nice that I can do that huh? Since it is only 4 I mean :)! Thanks Nicole...

[Nicole Young]

BTW---I added the "no-repeat" part to the tutorial for anyone else having trouble. Keep me informed on any issues you guys encounter so that we can fix em!!!

Your blog is fantastic BTW Maria. Beautiful photography!!!

[Nicole Young]

THe issue is actually with uploading to DSP. It limits your file width to 1000pixels. You need to have your file be wider than that. Once uploaded to photobucket it works fine.
Just be sure your file is 1450 wide and you choose a 1 Megabyte file size upload on photobucket. Sorry about all that. Let me know if this works better for you.

And Maria--I uploaded your blog background to my photobucket account. So if you just want to use my jpeg you can. Here is the url:
http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff192/nicoleeyoung80/MariaferBlogBackground.jpg

[mariafer]

Thanks Nicole... I wonder if it got resized when I saved for DSP... cause I did do it in the size you said... oh well... live and learn... Next time it should be easier right! :) Thanks for all your help...

[diturpin]

Nicole, you must be channeling my deep wishes and desires!!! I have wondered about how to do this and haven't had time to research it yet. Thanks for the info and for plopping it right under my nose!!

[mariafer]

I just saw you answered the whole when I saved for DSP I just hadn't read all of it.. unfortunately I think it is still repeating... hum... Atleast on my screen... I am of to run errands but will go through it with a fine comb when I come back... thanks for your help... I still think it looks pretty good though... better than before :)!

Thanks again Nicole... And thank you for the fantastic blog part... my 4 family members that read it really love it :)!

[Nicole Young]

Did you add in this line to the body part---

background-repeat: no-repeat;

[sammawow]

Thanks for doing this tutorial, Nicole! I love how you did your blog and wondered how people were able to create new backgrounds! I can't wait to try it - hopefully this afternoon!

[mariafer]

Did you add in this line to the body part---

background-repeat: no-repeat;

I had but I think I had left out the colon so now I tried again and it is done! And I am loving it!!! Thanks so much for the tutorial... This was just a test so I will have to redo another one for January but I really wanted to do this so THANK YOU! you rock! and thanks also for the extra help!!!

Anyway if you care to take a look it is right here: www.perfectlyandwonderfullymade.blogspot.com

[tg13]

Hi and thank´s Nicole, I did send you an e-mail but did not think of asking here about your tutorial. I was so glad when I saw this tutorial from you as I´m starting a blog and wanted to make my own background or use one of your´s but when I try to upload it through photobucket I get this:

We were unable to save your template
Please correct the error below, and submit your template again.
Your template could not be parsed as it is not well-formed. Please make sure all XML elements are closed properly.
XML error message: Content is not allowed in prolog.

So now I have no idea what to do? hope you can help me here. I hate the ready made templates the come with the blog´s LOL want to have it somehow to look different.


Maria your´s does not repeat it when I look at it, but is a bit to big for my laptop screen, but I is so cute.

[RoadMap4Us]

Maria -- Your blog looks fantastic from my end!!! It doesn't repeat and I can read it easily. BTW, you are one fabulous photographer!!! Nice nice photos!!

[RoadMap4Us]

Tora -- I wish I could be of help but I have never gotten that message on Photobucket. Are you uploading one of Nicole's templates? I used one of hers (with no changes) and it seemed to work okay. Maybe different settings are 'on' in your Photobucket account??

[tg13]

Tora -- I wish I could be of help but I have never gotten that message on Photobucket. Are you uploading one of Nicole's templates? I used one of hers (with no changes) and it seemed to work okay. Maybe different settings are 'on' in your Photobucket account??

Thanks:yes: I´m not very good with this though I´m usually GOOD with computer work, (love it) but I know that Nicole is looking at this so hopefully she can tell me what to do:wave:

[mariafer]

Hi and thank´s Nicole, I did send you an e-mail but did not think of asking here about your tutorial. I was so glad when I saw this tutorial from you as I´m starting a blog and wanted to make my own background or use one of your´s but when I try to upload it through photobucket I get this:

We were unable to save your template
Please correct the error below, and submit your template again.
Your template could not be parsed as it is not well-formed. Please make sure all XML elements are closed properly.
XML error message: Content is not allowed in prolog.

So now I have no idea what to do? hope you can help me here. I hate the ready made templates the come with the blog´s LOL want to have it somehow to look different.


Maria your´s does not repeat it when I look at it, but is a bit to big for my laptop screen, but I is so cute.

Thanks for your comments...

Are you getting this message on the blog? I got one similar to it once when I deleted a < that meant it wasn't closing. Did you make sure you have all the paranthesis closed and all the ; in place. Good luck!

Now that I am done I am loving it... though I called my mom to look at the blog and she didn't see the changes... If she hadn't been on the other side of the computer I would have smacked her! I love her but really! ;)

[mariafer]

Maria -- Your blog looks fantastic from my end!!! It doesn't repeat and I can read it easily. BTW, you are one fabulous photographer!!! Nice nice photos!!

Thanks so much! You are so sweet.

[Nicole Young]

Tora---show us your blog once you have tried the photobucket upload again! :) Let me know if you have any issues!

[tg13]

well it´s not working but this is my address: www.friendsfromscrap.blogspot.com
:cry::cry::cry:

[tg13]

I´m the clumsiest person ever right now, this is still not working, what I think now is that I need to add some and somewhere...can that be it.

[Nicole Young]

Tora--upload the photobucket image and save your blog so that we can see what its doing. Or it wont let you??

[tg13]

Ok I´ll try that one hand on a minute

[tg13]

Ok done www.friendsfromscrap.blogspot.com

[Nicole Young]

Tora--I see the issue...
right now your code reads:
background-image:http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii203/tora1313/MochaLatteLoveBlogBackground.jpg

it should say:
background-image: url(http://i265.photobucket.com/albums/ii203/tora1313/MochaLatteLoveBlogBackground.jpg)

try that and see what happens

[Nicole Young]

and Tora, I checked your size. It looks right, so yours should load correctly! :)

[tg13]

:yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo: Nicole your ROCK :yahoo::yahoo::yahoo::yahoo: It worked I uploaded one of your free ones and that worked. :yahoo: Now I´ll have to try to upload the one that I made.:pray::pray::pray: Thank you so much for not giving up on me:hug::hug::hug:

[mariafer]

Tora... why not start over... pick minima again and restart... you probably are missing something but who knows what.

I would pick minima and then do Nicole's steps again... I copied and pasted from her blog so that I wouldn't mess up... :)!

[tg13]

Tora... why not start over... pick minima again and restart... you probably are missing something but who knows what.

I would pick minima and then do Nicole's steps again... I copied and pasted from her blog so that I wouldn't mess up... :)!

To late :rofl: Nicole solved the mystery and I did it :yahoo::yahoo:
but thank you anyway.:yes:

[mariafer]

oh well... so glad it worked! Gonna go see how it looks!

[Nicole Young]

So pretty Tora!!! love it!

[tg13]

So pretty Tora!!! love it!

thank you again for not letting go of me. I´m making my own in PS CS2 and hope that will work as well as your´s does.

[sammdc]

wow maria your blog is gorgeous

many thanks Nicole will try out your tutorial in the next couple of days as I need to upgrade my blog too

[RoadMap4Us]

Tora -- Your blog looks fabulous! Glad it worked out!

Thought I'd link my very-empty blog too. I ended up trying to put a banner along the top. Now I need to start filling it with stuff!

Isn't It Amazing (or some such name for the blog eventually!) (http://roadmaparrival.blogspot.com/)

[tg13]

Tora -- Your blog looks fabulous! Glad it worked out!

Thought I'd link my very-empty blog too. I ended up trying to put a banner along the top. Now I need to start filling it with stuff!

Isn't It Amazing (or some such name for the blog eventually!) (http://roadmaparrival.blogspot.com/)


Blog´s must always be empty when we are just starter:rofl::rofl: now me and my friend Carole need to go fill our blog with some nice things.:applause::tup:

[DixieMama]

I HATE PHOTOBUCKET!!! :cry: :cry: :cry: I have tried everything from starting over, making it bigger, making it my actual screen resolution, saving for web to 1mb, leaving it at it's actual size, ....... nothing is working. Photobucket is resizing it itself to 775x550 or some such nonsense. I ALWAYS have my upload size on 1mb there, so I know I'm doing that part right. GRRRRR!!!!!

And even Blogger is being a PITA!! It won't let me put my banner in my header gadget. :annoyed: I have to add a picture gadget instead.

I give up.

Nicole, you've been an absolute darling with all of this. Thanks so much for trying to help troubleshoot. I'll figure something out.

:love2:

[mariafer]

SHAWN!! Don't give up!!! I am crossing my fingers that it will work out!!! Wish I could help... but I don't know what I am doing myself... :(!

Edited to add: Nicole you have been awesome with all of this... THANKS!!!

[RoadMap4Us]

Shawn -- Ditto on Maria's comment -- don't give up. Wish I could help too but I'm just fumbling around myself. Maybe someone will be along that is 'smart' about these things??

[tg13]

Don´t give up - I was about to give up when Nicole saved me - I´m not that good that I can help DO NOT GIVE UP just keep asking silly questions and someone will help. What I like is to have my template smaller I think it takes up to much space and only shows of some of the elements, and background so I have to figure out how to do that, if someone know´s away to do that I´ll be very glad;)

[sammdc]

woohoo I finally 3 hrs later got mine updated
http://sammdc.blogspot.com/

[tg13]

Great blog Carolyn;)

[sammdc]

thanks Tora I am trying to be better at using it I've had it for ages

[tg13]

thanks Tora I am trying to be better at using it I've had it for ages

I´v just started and really want my blog to be a good one with lots of stuff on it, Hope it will happen soon :tup:

[mariafer]

Awesome Carolyn. I especially liked your header!

[tg13]

How is it going for you Maria? and where in the world are you

[DixieMama]

Well, I decided to go my own route, and although the end results are nowhere NEAR as pretty as y'alls, I'm leaving it as it is until I can figure out what's up my Photobucket account's butt!! :annoyed:

Thanks everyone, for your words of encouragement!! :hug:

And Caro, yours looks FABULOUS!!! :tup:

[sammdc]

thanks Shawn hehehe it did take me about 3 hrs to make all the bits then upload it to photobucket then get the html code right