Facelift at Tarot Elements

by Catherine on July 18, 2009 · 6 comments

Well it had to happen, all these months of changing layouts, web design headaches and playing around with colours and fonts (which I hope most of you didn’t see…), I have finally settled on a new look for my Tarot blog from ThesisThemes.

For those of you not so familiar with the way blogs work, they have a framework, a basic layout. I’m self-hosted and use WordPress as my blogging platform and Thesis as my theme. I love it, the code is clean and it’s totally customisable, but of course without customising, it’s a little plain, so I’ve been playing and looking around for child themes (or skins, as is the new buzz word).

A child theme, or skin, is simply a dress to lay over the framework, and I’ve found one I like enough to roll out on my blog. Of all the different blogs you will have visited (or indeed websites you didn’t even realise were in fact blogs), the colours, the layout and the design are all part of the theme they use to style them. Of course, me being me (Virgo sun takes over here), it’s still not really how I want things… but I can see this Thesis skin dressed with other colours and looking more in keeping with my own style (what ever that is?!)

So, let the fun begin Over the next couple of weeks you will begin to see changes here at Tarot Elements and I just wanted to let you know you haven’t landed at the wrong Tarot blog – it’s all intentional. So pull up a chair and watch the fun and games, the changes, the roll backs and hopefully the finished product (for now ).

Thank you all for your patience and if any of you have any ideas or suggestions, don’t hesitate to get in touch.

Warm wishes,

Catherine

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Tagged as: Tarot Blog, Thesis, Thesis skin, Web design, WordPress

{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Jason July 18, 2009 at 2:04 pm

Classy!

2 Catherine July 18, 2009 at 2:17 pm: Hey welcome back Jason:)

Hope you’ll like the new changes that are coming, finally!

Let me know what you think of them as we progress.

Warm wishes,

Catherine

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3 aurarcana July 18, 2009 at 6:25 pm

Good luck with the changes and am looking forward to seeing the new site. I am actually moving my blog from Wordpress.com to a self hosted Wordpress blog soon – more customization and more functionality. If you have web related questions, feel free to ask me as I may be of help.

Warmest regards, Nicole

4 Catherine July 18, 2009 at 9:07 pm

Hi Nicole,

Self-hosting is a lot more work, but offers so much more, as you’re obviously aware I’ve been through a few themes since I began my Tarot blog, but I love Thesis, it offers such a lot of customisation – I’ve changed the layout so many times – all from the dashboard.

Dressing it is another issue though, which is why I was looking for a Thesis skin, to help me along with the design and styling. That way I keep the clean code that Thesis is known for, plus I get to play around with the styling too.

Thanks for your offer of help, I will be in touch if I lose my way Good luck with your own move, ditto to you too – if I can be of any help to you, having done everything from scratch, you pick up a thing or two along the way

Warm wishes,

Catherine

5 Mark Hodder July 21, 2009 at 12:31 am

Glad you found a skin you liked at our site! Can’t wait to see how it looks on your blog, stop by the forums if you have any questions

6 Catherine July 21, 2009 at 11:01 am: Hi Mark,

Thanks for dropping by – the pressures on now

I’m using Photoshop to look at some different styling for Straight Shooter, let me know what you think of the finished design.

Warm wishes,

Catherine

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