Goodbye "Picture Window" ~ Hello "Simple"

Recently I'd noticed that the Picture Window template had changed and the tutorial I wrote several years ago didn't seem to be working anymore. The problem seemed to be in the Html area and the built in presets, including a white center color, weren't disappearing the way they once did. This might have been fine except the awful white center  sat directly over my pretty themes, humph!

So the time had come to do some research and see if I couldn't come up with something better.  After many hours of playing and tinkering I'm happy to say that I've come up with a new tutorial. This one uses the "Simple" template and the best part is it's even easier, yay!  Now bloggers won't have to tackle the scary Html code area anymore.  The template even offers some added customization which is nice too.

So if you're interested in taking a look or have that awful white center on your own blog then click the title below to view the newest addition to my tutorials library:
How to: Setup and Modify the "Simple" Template.

Updated Codes for Free Backgrounds

This is in addition to the previous posts below and is related to the recent glitch that make my Plumrose Lane images go missing.

I've just finished updating all of the free background codes so if you're using one of those backgrounds you can go ahead and replace the code.

Just find the background from the list on this page:  http://plumroselane-bckgrnds.blogspot.com/2010/09/backgrounds.html and click on the background you were using. Then find the size for your blog, copy the code below it, and paste it over the previous background code.

Please feel free to leave comments if you have any questions or need help~

Update to Previous Post

Here's a bit more info from my last post about missing images, just in case there was some confusion... 

Paid Users: If you purchased a banner or a complete theme from me in the past then contact me through email (click my signature below) and I will send you the link to the new theme page. That way you will have all of the codes for that theme ~ no additional cost is required.

Free Users: If you were using one of my blog themes that used to be free and you still have the code installed on your blog then you can follow the instructions in my last post to fix the issue. The images will return and there will be no cost to you. This way my previous freebie users are still included ~ love you guys too♥

Installations: If I installed one of my themes on your blog in the past then just follow this tutorial to add me as a guest: http://www.plumroselane.com/tutorial-add_guest.html I will re-install everything so your blog is back to what it was before. You'll need my email address for the tutorial so go ahead and click my signature at the end of this posting to get that and while you're at it you can send me a quick message letting me know you'll be adding me. ;~)

And remember that all of my "Just Backgrounds" are still available for free and will remain that way. You can click this title to access the page.

Hope that helps everyone and thanks for your patience! *shakes fist at gremlins*

Face Lifts~

While I may not be a fan of face lifts, I certainly enjoy giving them... at least to some of my older themes, in much need of an updated look.  Joining this group are "A Fondness" and "A Heart for You".

A Fondness

A Heart for You

Both don brighter colors with more exquisite elements to help add even more whimsy. You can view them by clicking the titles or images above.

Enjoy~

New Themes ~ Sea Gypsy & Scholastic Delight

Two new themes are making their debut today ~ the first is titled "Sea Gypsy" and features a lovely sea theme with magic abounding.  From shells and smashing waves to sandy shores and a haunting romance of lost lovers at sea, this theme is sure to enchant any summer blog!

Next up we've got a more down to earth theme, both in color and concept. This one's titled "Scholastic Delight" and features a soothing color scheme with a scholastic ensemble. It comes in three background colors, features two sets of sidebar tags, including one especially designed for school blogs, and the banner is customizable to include two of your own school photos, making it truly personal and one-of-a-kind banner.

Both are available for either WordPress or Blogger platforms. You can find more info by clicking the titles and/or images above.

Enjoy~

Christmas in July - "Cream Trim"

This year we're celebrating Christmas in July with 50% off all our Christmas imagery. The thought was to pass on some nice savings for our customers who like to get a jump start on their holiday supplies and crafts.

So a special thanks goes out to Gail of Rocky Springs Vintage for including our "Country Christmas" banner in her delightful new Etsy Treasury "Cream Trim" featuring Christmas in July listings!

Enjoy~

More Newness

Just like my spring garden, we've got more newness popping up here at Plumrose Lane and that's in the form of some brand new blog themes (crowd goes wild!).*smile* These new themes are bursting with beauty and  gobs of intricate details... I love the darling little blue bird with patina-ed crown in Cotton Butterfly and how about those shells, feathers, and bones in Featherly? ~ sheer bohemian delight!

Cotton Butterfly

Waking Dream

Featherly

To view all the goodies for these newest themes and spruce up your springtime blog, just click the images or linked titles above.

These newest themes are also packed full of color which makes them a perfect submission for Creative Everyday's monthly challenge ~ "Color"!  Participating in Leahs's monthly challenges is my little way of stepping outside my busy custom-work schedule to create something "just for fun".  You can stop by Leah's blog to check out all the wonderful submissions for this month's challenge and be sure to look over her own artwork which always leaves me thoroughly inspired.

Enjoy~

Newness

I've been so busy with custom orders lately that I haven't had time to get in here and post about some recent prefab additions so let me begin by doing a quick shout-out for some new post dividers. I've included a sampling below but you can find the complete set listed on the Post Dividers page (direct link: http://www.prl-images.com/post_dividers.html) or on the individual theme pages.

A Fondness

Emporium

Mother's Treasures

Read All-over

Tattered Garden

Last week's sale was a big hit so a HuGe THaNKs goes out to all of you who stopped by my Etsy shop.  The new Treasuries I created also helped to bring in some new traffic which was great too ~ it's been nearly 6 months since I put one of those together and they're always so much fun to create!

All of these helped bankroll my son's Youth and Government trip this past weekend so I sincerely appreciate it! I missed him while we was away but I know it's good practice to prepare for this fall when he's off to college. *sniffle*

Best~

Etsy Mini Fix

If you're an Etsy seller then you've probably experienced the same issues I have when trying to get an Etsy Mini to show up.  It seems when Etsy made some changes to the code, about a year ago, the gadgets stopped working on Blogger.

Well I'm happy to say I've just stumbled upon a fix ~ Annie over at Anniedep  has come up with some altered code that makes the gadgets work on Blogger ~ whoot!  Here's a link to her posting: http://anniedep.blogspot.com/2012/06/etsy-mini-doesnt-display-in-blogger.html

If you follow the instructions you'll end up with a 2 column, 2 row layout, like the example shown above (only bigger). If you want more inventory to appear you can easily change the numbers in the code.  Here's an example of a 2 column, 4 row layout with the modifications explained below..

Referring to Annie's code ~ change the 2 after "rows=" to 4 and change the 238 after "height=" to 430.

I also figured out how to add the larger gallery version to a blog post or page so we can once again easily offer "galleries" of items for sale on our blogs.  For an average width blog page a 2 column, 4 row layout works best so I've included a screen shot and the code below for that layout.

<iframe frameborder="0" height="833" src="http://www.etsy.com/mini.php?shop_id=NUMERIC_SHOP_ID&image_type=gallery&rows=4&columns=2&featured=1" width="374"></iframe></center>

Remember, be sure to stop by Annie's original post to find out how to install your own Etsy shop number so your inventory will appear.

Enjoy~

Blogger Changes Html

It seems Blogger has once again changed things up ~ this time they've completely revamped their Html interface, so if you've been trying  use my tutorial How to: Setup and Adjust the Picture Window Template, or just working in the Html area of your blog, then you've notice things looking... well... entirely different...

new view

It's kind of like going to sleep with this...

photo credit - Leandro Cavinatto stock.xchng 

and waking up with this...

photo credit - Ehsan Namavar stock.xchng 

I get that change is nice but is it really necessary??

Ok, so my example is  a bit over-the-top but let's face it... after the fiasco of Blogger's "updates" last year and all the recent glitchiness with their interface, it's enough to make any Blogger want to packup and move to Wordpress.

Blogger seems quite proud of their revamp and boast it's newly improved functionality in this posting from Blogger Buzz. Here's the direct link: http://buzz.blogger.com/2013/04/improvements-to-blogger-template-html.html  And while these changes may be the cat's meow down the road, for now it means a boatload of unexpected work while I revamp the set of tutorials I just finished rewriting. *le sigh*

Sooooo... I'm currently working on some rewrites and will make an announcement once the changes have been published.

Best~

On the way...

A funny thing happened on the way to the challenge ~ I missed it.  *frowny face*  Even in the midst of March's craziness I was soooo hoping to participate in Creative Everyday's Challenge. Leah chose "Black and White" for March's theme and it sparked such fun responses in my mind ~ none more so than the childhood riddle, "What's black and white and read all over?"

I remember getting my first riddle book ~ how much fun it was to tell jokes and how patient my parents were listening to them over and over again, always as though I was telling them for the first time.

I've wanted to do a newspaper theme for quite awhile now so this was the perfect tie-in for that and the challenge sparked this new theme ~ "Read All-over"...

I enjoyed coordinating a collection of printed objects and making the faerie ~ see her there, sitting on the swing inviting visitors to read the accompanying blog?  She was a bit of extra work but I really love how she came out.

So even though I missed this month's challenge there's a new one already posted for next month and heaven knows I should be able to pull that one off. So, what's the theme you may ask? Why my favorite thing of course... "Color". *smile*

Wishing you all a wonderfully colorful weekend!

Enjoy~

The Brighter Side

I see the gremlins at Blogger are up to no good again.... seems images and settings are randomly changing and disappearing at will.  Take my A-Z Blog Themes List ~ there one minute and gone the next. Yikes!  It seems the more I work on getting this new website up and running, the more need there is for it. There's certainly nothing wrong with our efforts paying off so at least there's a brighter side to some of this darker weather we've seen in blogland lately.

On another note, I've just finished a new tutorial ~ How to: Install a Blog Badge (or add an html sidebar gadget) and you can find that by clicking the title.  With the creation of this final tutorial I've now completely rewritten the "Basics" section of my Decorative Themes & Add-ons category, whoot!  It's been a long time coming and although this only completes one part of my tutorials library I'm still really happy to have it done. Heaven knows I can't imagine what this year will be like once I'm finished with all this techie stuff but me thinks it will have something to do with sunshine and lolly pops! *smile*

Best~

Celebrate OZ - Altered OZ 2013

My goodness time is flying by so fast I nearly missed this wonderful event, Oma Linda's "Celebrate OZ - Altered OZ 2013" ~ my sweet friend over at Olde Baggs 'n Stuft Shirts holds an annual shin-dig celebrating all things OZ!  Fortunately I'm flying in just in time to participate.  Since things have been so hectic I've just got a short little post to share and a fun new theme that's perfect for the OZ lover ~

Great n' Powerful

It boasts loads of elements from the new movie which I actually haven't had a chance to see yet but can't wait to!  I studied the online imagery a bit and tried to pick up some key aspects to this new (an visually stunning) OZ movie.  To view the new theme just click the title or image above and be sure to hope of over to Oma Linda's blog to find more wonderful Oz giveaways and goodies ~ here's the direction link for those of you using mobile devices: http://lindaomasoldebaggsnstuftshirts.blogspot.com/

Best~

Important - New Updated Background Codes - just backgrounds

Still racing against the clock the faeries and I switched gears a bit today and updated some of the background codes in the "Just Backgrounds" section. This area is a tiny bit easier because it doesn't include having to redo any tags and that's a big time saver right now.  

So far, I've completed A - M in that area so if you're using a background code from one of the titles below, you'll want to update the code on your blog before it disappears.  

If you're not sure what I'm referring to then you can read over a few of my recent posts below this one and check out the original posting, "The Bucket". 

Updated "Just Backgrounds" titles are...
Black Night
Blueberry Crush
Bohemian Mist
Charcoal
Conversationalist
Coralesque
Creative Experience
Emerald Dreams
Enchanted Corner
Esmeralda
Feeling Bleu
Garden's Delight
Grand Marquee
Harvest Moon
In Gear
Letters Home
Morning Mist
Morning Sunshine

It's easy to update ~ just replace your old background code with the new code for your background size.  This change is taking place as this blog migrates over to a new website due to Photobucket's recent change with large image handling.

If you're using a Plumrose Lane background and do not see the theme title listed above then check back for upcoming announcements. All codes will be switched over before in the even they are deleted by Photobucket. 

Best~

Important ~ New Updated Background Codes

The following prefab theme background codes have been updated:

A Fondness
A Heart for You
August Mist
Autumn Slumber
Binding Journey
Blissful Harvest
Blitzin'
Blueberry Plumcicle
Bound Together
Cherish
Cotton Delight
Country Christmas
Cozy
Downton
Effervescent
Fanciful Filly
Fanciful Love
Forgotten Journey
Garden Party
Gilded Love
Glitter & Ice
Je T'aime
Knicky Knack
Love's Elixir
Marleque
Mother's Treasures
Night Vision
Nuptuals
Peafowl Whispers
St Patrick's Day

Click a title above to be taken directly to the theme's page.

If you are using one of the backgrounds listed above it will be necessary to update your existing code to the new codes.  It's easy to update ~ just replace your old background code with the new code for your background size.  This change is taking place as this blog migrates over to a new website due to Photobucket's recent change with large image handling.

If you're using a Plumrose Lane background and do not see the theme title listed above then check back for upcoming announcements. All codes will be switched over before in the even they are deleted by Photobucket.  You can also Subscribe to this blog or follow on the Facebook page at: www.facebook.com/PlumroseLane ~ updates will be posted as they occur.

Best,

Revamp Update ~ Prefab Blog Buttons

Just popping in to announce that the new prefab Blog Button page is now live.  The direct link for that is: http://www.prl-images.com/blog_buttons.html

If you are currently using any of my prefab sidebar buttons for holidays, comments, or inspirational messages you'll want to switch those out for the new codes before the old ones disappear.

This is in follow up to my earlier posting, The Bucket.  I'll pop back in just as soon as I have more updates to share.

Best,

A Gremlin's Match for Centering Banners

While working on several customer blogs recently I noticed that the "center banner" code from my tutorial How to: Center a Blog Header, really wasn't working very well.  It's not that it completely malfunctioned, it's just that sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn't. This is something we like to call the Blogger Gremlins.  Those pesky little hiccups that pop-up randomly and interfere with how things are supposed to work, only not all of the time.

I thought it was about time to put an end to this little bit of nonsense, so I went on the hunt for something better and happily I found it!  It's an easy process for "pushing" a blogger banner over to the right and I've put the instructions together in one of my easy to follow step-by-step tutorials titled: How to: Push (or Center) a Blog Banner.  I left the previous tutorial still posted, since the glitchiness comes and goes, so you can try them both out and see what works best for you.  And for now, maybe that gremlin will go off and play somewhere else... I hear Tumblr's a fun place to visit.

Enjoy~

New Themes ~ Nuptials & Garden Party

With all the extra work I've been doing lately; revamping blog themes, keeping up on custom orders, and working on challenges, it's been a struggle to get in here and post as much as I should.  So I'm happy when I do have something completed and ready to place in the spotlight. Today I'm focusing on a couple of new themes I recently created ~ Nuptials and Garden Party.

Nuptials

Nuptials just kind of fell in place with it's soft hues boasting an elegant yet natural wedding theme.  I love this color combination, they blend so beautifully together ~ I can't help but think of a beautiful afternoon in the countryside with flowing white chiffon.  And it's nice to finally have an addition to stand along side my Cherish theme which up until now was the only marriage theme I offered.

Garden Party

Garden Party was a different story in that I've had this theme in my mind's eye for quite awhile now.  I knew I wanted to create a theme that set a stage for some enchanted yet cozy event, filled with whimsical elements and adorned with glowing lanterns.  I'm really please with how these sets cam out and I hope you enjoy them too.

You can view all of the elements for each set by clicking on the titles or images above.

Enjoy~

New Tutorial, Themes and Section

The faeries and I are just popping in between projects to let you all know about some new goodies here on the lane ~ after a long wait I've finally rewritten the tutorial for adding sidebar tags.  I know many of you newer bloggers were anxiously waiting for this posting so you can now find that under this title "How to: Install Sidebar Tags" in the Tutorials section of my blog or at this direct link: http://plumroselane-tutorials.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-install-sidebar-tags.html

I've also created a new tutorial titled "How to: Setup Your Blogger Profile". While many of you are using your Google+ accounts there are those of us die-hard bloggers who still love the layout and all inclusiveness of our Blogger profiles.  You would also be amazed at how many bloggers simply don't have their profiles turned on or linked to anything.  I can't tell you how many times someone leaves me a nice comment and I while I want to reciprocate instead I hit a dead end as I can't reach their blog. *sigh*  So give the tutorial a look over and maybe you'll find it helps with activating or setting up your own profile.  You can find the tutorial by clicking the title above or using this direct link: http://plumroselane-tutorials.blogspot.com/2013/01/how-to-set-up-your-blogger-profile.html

For the new themes portion of this post I have two to share with you today... The first is a warm and cozy ensemble that's just perfect for chasing away those mid-winter blues. It features a distinctive knitted style with crafty sewn and paper accents and is titled "Cozy".

You can find it by clicking the title or image above.

The second theme was inspired by the popular British series Downton Abbey.  It boast a deep rich color scheme with decadent accents and is titled "Downton".  You can view all of the elements included in this set by clicking the title above or image below.

Lastly I wanted to mention a new section on the sidebar of my blog titled "New Themes".  Now all of my newest prefab designs can be found in one location so no more tiring searches through the A-Z List, although I understand for some of you that's a favorite past-time. *wink*

So that's it for this posting I hope you're all enjoying a nice beginning to the new year!

Best,

Creative Every Day Challenge

For the past several years I've posted about participating in the Creative Every Day Challenge and had set out with the best of intentions to actually participate. I'm not sure why I never did, whether it was feeling that my world of digital creations didn't quite fit into the other beautiful artistic imagery or if I was just too swamped with work, but whatever the case each year the badge remained a part of my Inspirational section, nothing more.

This year Leah of Creative Every Day is back again with more challenges and it's a really great way to work through a creative block or two.  Who wouldn't be inspired simply by Leah's gorgeous creations alone, as in the case of her painting for this month's challenge shown below?

I've decided to push through whatever fears or preconceptions I may have had and actually follow along this year and so this is my fist posting for that.  Participation is open to anyone and you can find out more by clicking the images or links above.

Challenge Theme Submission for "Dark"

The theme for January is "Dark" and I was surprised to find out that some people are uncomfortable with that word.  Personally I like the word dark because it makes me think of deep rich jewel tones and starry night skys filled with stars. 

In keeping with the later I've created a new blog theme titled Night Vision.  This theme is in a new style I'll be working with this year and while I'm still planning on creating the scrappy realistic themes I'm best known for, I also plan on incorporating more of these surreal themes into my repertoire.  I'm really excited about this new style and all the fun possibilities it holds. 

Leah breaks the challenges out by week and so this is my submission for this week, December 31st - January 6th.  I'm hoping with the addition of painting in my life that I'll also have a chance to play and submit something in paint for this as well.  To view the theme and all the goodies included just click the image or title link above.

A big thanks goes out to Leah for providing such a wonderful source of inspiration.  I can't wait to see the creativity unfold throughout the year!

Best,