Wordle… fun with words
What a fun website! There goes any chance at a nap today! Poking around I found this gem of a website that allows you to insert a link and create a Wordle graphic design image based on the words it pulls from the feed of the site you linked to! Based on the Web Savvy Mama blog this is what we got.
How fun would it be to accent a blog post with words like this? Who knew typography could be so easy? Check it out for yourself and see what you can can up with! A heads up, if you do use any part of the created Wordle a link back is required, don’t forget to add that to your site if you do use it.
Try Wordle
Adobe’s Kuler Color Picker
I’ve blogged before about inspiration and colors when I talked about Colour Lovers. Web Savvy Mama LOVES colors! I’m back to talk about another online gem I found that my fellow color loving mamas will love!
Adobe has an online color picker called Kuler. When I first saw it I though, “Oh, another color picker. What’s the bog deal?” Then I started playing around with it! The color picker part is like most you find online, the feature I liked the most was the “create from image” option. I popped a picture of my daughter in and ta-da! Color palette! It lets you select a mood which will change the colors it grabs from the picture. How cool is that?!
As someone who takes inspiration for web design from every day objects I can see this handy little site getting a lot of use. Have a favorite printed skirt? Snap a picture and ta-da, instant color palette! Go play and let me know what you think!
Pixelmator Review
I’ve long been a fan of Photoshop and Paint Shop Pro (the old non-screwed up version, lol) on my PC computers. Two years ago I found the Mac love and made the switch. Unfortunately my PC software was not compatible and I began a search for software that was tailored to the Mac work environment. Of course Photoshop is Mac friendly, but I wanted to see what else was available. This led me to Pixelmator.
Pixelmator is a layer based graphic editor for Macs. I was skeptical at first and I downloaded the demo on 2 different occasions to see how I’d like it and instead left it untouched each time. I was intimidated by the prospect of learning a new setup. Recently I made the leap and purchased the program, knowing that if I just did it I’d be forced to play with it more. Boy am I glad I did! The layout is very similar to Photoshop, so if you can use Photoshop you can use Pixelmator… but I must say I find Pixelmator’s interface more eye appealing.
| First off, being made for a Mac instead of being just Mac friendly, Pixelmator’s interface is pretty slick. I like being able to drag the windows anywhere on my screen without being restricted in any way. The basic brushes and filters that come with are a great start right out of the box, I haven’t had to go search for more yet as the ones that come with have accomplished all my tasks so far. There are just a ton of them! This program is also fast! I found Photoshop a bit slow, but Pixelmator just loads, no waiting!
Pixelmator does have a learning curve and if you are not used to Photoshop or working with a graphics program then I highly recommend trying out a few of the tutorials! I tried these tutorials myself and had a lot of fun creating some desktop wallpapers. Pixelmator has a whole learning section right on the website to help walk you through and get you used to working in this environment. |
Format: Download Developer: Pixelmator System Requirements: Intel or PowerPC, Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later, Core Image supported graphics card Processor Compatibility: Intel or Power PC Price: $59.00 single user |
I’m making these wallpapers available for download, I created these in Pixelmator using the provided tutorials. Try one for yourself! To download Desktop Wallpapers click on the image to open large image and then right click image and select save from the menu.
Inspiration in all Places
Are you looking for some inspiration for a product, graphic or even in your everyday life? 
ColourLovers.com is a great web site to check out. I’ve been browsing this site for quite awhile now. A great web design idea is often spurred by an amazing color palette! Whether its at ColourLovers or just seeing a great palette on a favorite shirt, my kids’ artwork or something completely random! When I used to be in the baby carrier business I often talked to other vendors about inspiration for patterns used. We’d joke about walking through the store and oohing over a print we saw on a shirt because it would have made a perfect sling! Or seeing the color combination in a pile of socks that really stuck out! Now I have trained myself to see those colors everywhere and picture how they can be used in web and graphic designs.
Web Savvy Mama even has a Color Lover Profile as well! http://www.colourlovers.com/lover/WebSavvyMama
Come see some of my favorite color combinations!
Technorati Tags: ColourLovers, web design, palette, inspiration, color
New Year Resolutions!
What is your New Year Resolution for your business? Haven’t come up with one yet? Take a look at my blog on Refreshing Your Web Site for the New Year for some ideas!
What are mine? Hmm, tough question! Along with making sure my website stays up to date my main goal is to blog more. I want to add more tutorials, redo my WordPress template tutorials and just keep posting more helpful information in general. I know I’ve been slacking in this area lately!
Do you have a topic you want to see covered? Email me with your idea! If I pick yours I’ll give a shout out and post a link to your website as well!
Although, I am going to admit… I have the iPhone on my wish list for the new year as well. I finally got to see one in person and it puts my Blackberry to shame! lol
Technorati Tags: Web Site, blog, tutorials, iPhone
New Package Matrix
I’ve gone ahead and revamped my packages page to add more detailed lists of available packages. Of course, these are still only templates for selecting packages and web design services, all clients will continue to get customized service. The packages can be edited to include more or less than needed depending on your specific project.
What you’ll find is a nice table of packages and services with the options for each in an easier to read format. No more reading through a paragraph trying to figure out which is the best option for you. Because blog design has become so popular among my clients lately I’ve added that to my list of packages as well. If you have any questions about any of the packages or service please feel free to contact me at any time!
Technorati Tags: web design