Another Design...

...for a wonderful blogger! Late last week, I finished a new site for Tammy of Breaths of Faith. Be sure to head over there to visit a wonderful gal and a restful, but vibrant new home for her blog.

Blessings,

Design Tips for You ~ Mission and Purpose

Tip 4 ~ Mission and Purpose

Have you ever stopped to think about why you blog? What is the purpose of all those posts filling the bloggy world, penned by your precious hand?

I have found that is has helped to seek the Lord in defining a mission and purpose for my blog. It isn't a lifelong commitment, but for the season I am in, it helps define why I blog and what I blog. I don't know about you, but it is easy to get overwhelmed with the many bloggy opportunities. Defining your blog mission and purpose will enable you to set healthy boundaries and focus your writing or blog ministry.

How do you go about doing this?

• pray
• seek Scripture to direct you
• select a key verse to communicate the essence of your blog
• consider all the ways you are blog and rank them in order of most important to least important
• pray about eliminating the bottom of the list to focus on the top more intentionally
• ask others why they read your blog and what they see as your ministry
• write a mission statement, of a sentence or two, answering the question, "I blog in order to ...".
• pray some more and wait on the Lord for Him to speak to you about your mission and purpose in regard to your blog

Stay tuned for more Designs by You tips and techniques for sprucing up your blog, brought to you especially by Designs by Elisa! To see all the Tips, click here.

A New Day, A New Design...

I just finished a Blog Makeover for Tricia, which she won through a contest sponsored by Joanne at One So Blessed. What blast this design job has been! Tricia picked the picture and in a blink (or that's what it felt like), the Lord inspired me to create this design. Head over to say hello and bless sweet Tricia today!

It's All About Him

Bear with me...

I'm doing something crazy right now. I'm about to put up a new design. I know, I just made this one and I have a ton of other things I ought to be doing!! But, after the experience from this weekend and the tremendous lessons I learned, I wanted to make a stone of remembrance that would continue to remind me to turn to Jesus and not look for The End. So, that is why I'm putting up a new design. Plus, it helps me process through my thoughts when I can create, and today that is just what I needed to do.

Thanks for your patience while under construction!

Design Tips for You ~ Organizing Your Awards

Tip 3 - Organizing Your Awards

One of my bloggy friends, A Stone Gatherer, asked a great Design Tip Question. She shared,

"I have been wanting to put my awards elsewhere to clean up the sidebar but I can't figure out how to do it."

Here is my solution:

1. Put all your awards into a post and title that post "Awards"
2. Publish that post
3. View your blog and click on the title "Awards" - the page should refresh or open in a new tab or window
4. Copy the address, which is a link to that specific post, not just your blog address
5. Go into Customize / Layout / Page Elements / Create New / Add Page Element / Text
6. Type in "Awards" as the title, and something like this "Thanks for all these wonderful awards!"
   
7. Select the text and click the "link" icon. Paste the url that links to the post
8. Save, and Save again

Now you have a link to the post with all your awards and you can take your awards out of your sidebar. You can use this same technique for any content that is clogging up your sidebar.

Happy Blogging,

Stay tuned for more Designs by You tips and techniques
brought to you especially by Designs by Elisa!

Designs by Elisa ~ Diagonally Parked

Over the past few weeks I've been busy working on a new template and header design for a fellow blogger, Rebekah. After trial and error, searching and thinking, Rebekah found a great illustration at iStock and I, by the grace and gift of God, was able to whirl it in a design that we both love. Head over there to check it out and give a warm hello to sweet Rebekah!

http://simpleandsassy.blogspot.com/

If you're thinking about sprucing up your blog, but not sure where to begin or how much it would cost, just drop me an email (extragrace [at] gmail [.] com) and I can offer you some direction. You can also check out the Pre-Mades at Designs by Elisa. They are so affordable and may be just what you are looking for!

Tips for You ~ Font Alignment

As Designs by Elisa continues to grow, I'm coming across more and more bloggers that would love a fresh new look but aren't sure where to start. Many just don't have the time nor money to invest in a total blog makeover, which is completely understandable.

What many bloggers many not realize is that they can spruce up their bloggy pad with just a few technique and style applications, without ever hiring a designer. I hope, from time to time, to give you some of these tried and true tips and help you revitalize your own bloggy home!

Here's one that is so simple...

Tip 1 ~ Font Alignment
Did you know that, as a general rule of thumb, paragraphs should always be aligned left? Yes, if you have a paragraph of two or more sentences, then you should definitely align it left, as that is the easiest on the reader. If it is a quote, or headline, feel free to center it in your post. Otherwise, keep your text to the left and you'll quickly clean up your blog page and make it easier for the reader to work their way through your posts!

Stay tuned for more Designs by You tips and techniques, brought to you especially by Designs by Elisa!

Meet my friend Bonita at Streams of Living Water

It is done! And we are thrilled!
Head over to check out Bonita Lillie's new blog,
a Designs by Elisa full package site!

Tips for You from Designs by Elisa

Below you'll find a growing list of Tips for You for sprucing up your blog, brought to you by Designs by Elisa. Stop by periodically for additions to this list.

Tip 1 ~ Font Alignment
Did you know that, as a general rule of thumb, paragraphs should always be aligned left? Yes, if you have a paragraph of two or more sentences, then you should definitely align it left, as that is the easiest on the reader. If it is a quote, or headline, feel free to center it in your post. Otherwise, keep your text to the left and you'll quickly clean up your blog page and make it easier for the reader to work their way through your posts!

Tip 2 ~ Sidebar Organization

One the most used parts of a blog is the sidebar. Everyone has one, sometimes even two or three, to house links to favorite bloggy stops, giveaways, memes, and information about themselves. But all this relevant information can get pretty cluttered and become overwhelming to a visitor. Here are some questions you can ask yourself to help clean up your sidebar and make it a useful tool for your visitor:

1. Have I included some necessary facts, like:

• Contact information?
• Mission and Purpose of the Blog? (Stay tuned for a post just about this!)
  
• Copyright and reprint restriction or permission?
• Design credit?

2. Have I labeled my sidebar sections in such a way it makes sense to the reader or are my labels too creative to be understood?

3. Have I grouped like things together?

4. Would it be better to use a link to a post that contains all "this" information instead of listing in the sidebar?

These are just some ideas for making your blog's sidebar a tool that is helpful to your visitors. Just like how we all must clean out a junk drawer and reorganize our messy closets, a sidebar can periodically use some TLC, too!

Tip 3 - Organizing Your Awards

One of my bloggy friends, A Stone Gatherer, asked a great Design Tip Question. She shared,

"I have been wanting to put my awards elsewhere to clean up the sidebar but I can't figure out how to do it."

Here is my solution:

1. Put all your awards into a post and title that post "Awards"
2. Publish that post
3. View your blog and click on the title "Awards" - the page should refresh or open in a new tab or window
4. Copy the address, which is a link to that specific post, not just your blog address
5. Go into Customize / Layout / Page Elements / Create New / Add Page Element / Text
6. Type in "Awards" as the title, and something like this "Thanks for all these wonderful awards!"
   
7. Select the text and click the "link" icon. Paste the url that links to the post
8. Save, and Save again

Now you have a link to the post with all your awards and you can take your awards out of your sidebar. You can use this same technique for any content that is clogging up your sidebar.


Tip 4 ~ Mission and Purpose

Have you ever stopped to think about why you blog? What is the purpose of all those posts filling the bloggy world, penned by your precious hand?

I have found that is has helped to seek the Lord in defining a mission and purpose for my blog. It isn't a lifelong commitment, but for the season I am in, it helps define why I blog and what I blog. I don't know about you, but it is easy to get overwhelmed with the many bloggy opportunities. Defining your blog mission and purpose will enable you to set healthy boundaries and focus your writing or blog ministry.

How do you go about doing this?

• pray
• seek Scripture to direct you
• select a key verse to communicate the essence of your blog
• consider all the ways you are blog and rank them in order of most important to least important
• pray about eliminating the bottom of the list to focus on the top more intentionally
• ask others why they read your blog and what they see as your ministry
• write a mission statement, of a sentence or two, answering the question, "I blog in order to ...".
• pray some more and wait on the Lord for Him to speak to you about your mission and purpose in regard to your blog.

Stay tuned for more Designs by You tips and techniques
brought to you especially by Designs by Elisa!

Feeling Like a Blog Makeover?

My blog friend Joanne is hosting her first blog giveaway, which I think you might like to check out! It happens to involve Designs by Elisa, too! Head over and see what she is up to...

Designs

Are you look for a new design for your blog?
Would you like a special button to advertise a meme?
Head over to Designs by Elisa for affordable, creative,
original and premade, unexpected designs!

~~~~~~

Would you like to spice up your blog?
Click the graphic to check out some easy to apply
design tips to give your blog a clean new look!

One So Blessed

onesoblessed.blogspot.com

I am just finishing working with a wonderful blogger, Joanne, host of "Blessed..."! What a truly blessed experience this has been! Head on over to check out her new look, but be sure to stay awhile to get to know Joanne. She is truly a blessing!

Designs by Elisa

...has moved out on it's own. This business is growing, with a list of clients in queue and being worked on, so it is time for Designs by Elisa to have it's own space. Check it out at at http://designsbyelisa.blogspot.com.

Designs by Elisa

click here to view the Designs by Elisa gallery

Thanks for clicking to find out more about Designs by Elisa. The header design and graphic buttons at Extravagant Grace are just some of my own designs. I design because I love the creative outlet it provides!

Since graduating from college, I've used my graphic design training in various capacities, from designing and maintaining a website for a prep school to making invitations for events and parties. I've also put together endless newsletters, ads, logos, and brochures over the years. If you'd like to see samples, from the past few months, click here.

Affordable Headers and Buttons
I am passionate about using the gifts God has given me both for pleasure and practical needs. If you're on a tight budget and have a bit of flexibility in your time frame, I'd love to use these gifts to bless you. So if you're looking for a new header for your blog or button for your site, drop me a line (extragrace at gmail dot com) and we can chat. If the timing is right and the project is within my ability, I'd be happy to consider creating something affordable especially for you.

Affordable is such a vague term, so let me give you an idea of what I have in mind. These estimates are based on how much time I typically spend creating a design. If more time is involved, then I'll have to increase the price by $5.00 for each additional hour. I would also require that payment would need to be made in full via pay-pal before I begin the work.

Header... $25.00 for three hours of work

Button... $20.00 for two hours of work

The Process
I'm big on the communication process, so let me give you an idea of how this would work. Once we agree on a project (including time-frame and fee) and after I receive payment, I'll begin work. You'll receive a "Final Proof" for your approval. If changes need to be made, that are not a result of my mistake, the hourly rate will kick in until the project is completed.

After I receive your final approval, then I'll send you a .png and .jpg file via email for your personal use. I do ask, however, that you give credit to Designs by Elisa. If you have any questions about this process, please feel free to ask by leaving a comment or emailing extragrace (at) gmail (.) com.

May God bless you with His Extravagant Grace!

A Few Samples

Here are some of the designs I've put together in the past few months. Many of them were for The Laundry Alternative, which is why they are all in the same color palette.