Blogger Bliss: Improving Your Blog | Headers pt.1

Hey you guys! I've been on a bit of a creative kick lately and I've been trying to think of some things I could create. I decided upon blog headers, but they're hard because everyone has a different blog name. What I did was I created some generic-type headers for anyone to grab and use, and I provided the template for them so that you can download the .xcf file and add in your own blog name. With these headers, I will also provide a link to the font I used so that you may download it as well (in order to properly edit these files).

I realize that a lot of these are quite plain (or maybe they're not in your opinion), but I think a minimalistic, simple, blog design & header is quite nice. There's beauty in negative space, and keeping it simple is just as breathtaking a design as something that shows a lot of effort. It's all up to how you want your blog to look, and if you agree with my thoughts, you'll really enjoy these. 

Enjoy! If you have any questions, let me know.

Generic headers

Along with each header is a link to download the font that I used for the design (that you'll need if you choose to use any of these & edit them), and a link to download the template file for the image. To download and install a font, you'll need to unzip the .zip file, and then click and drag your unzipped font file file into your computer's Fonts folder. Doing a quick search for that should bring it up.

I wanted to try and keep these as basic as possible so that they could be fairly customizable. They are all monochromatic, but obviously feel free to add any colour that matches your blog.

If you like the idea of one of these headers but want to go your own way with it, I've done my best to provide you with the resources I've used in my creation of them. They're easy to create, so if you'd like to customize the colour/add more, or anything, refer to the bottom of the post where I will list the resources I used.

*Note that these images are not the full size, click on them to enlarge in a new window. I've tried to make each of these fairly large to be as user friendly as possible. You can always make a large image smaller without losing quality, but you can't make a small image larger and keep quality. 

Click the 'd' button to download the .xcf file. Download will start automatically!

1. Coffee Time

Download the font 'Signerica' here.

2. Not Today

Download the font 'Tamoro Script' here.

*sidenote: I've slanted the script font in my display
*sidenote 2: This font is for personal use only as per request of the creator

3. The Who Girl

Download the font 'Kunstler Script' here.

4. Monochrome
No font download needed.

5. Petals and Pearls
No font download needed.

Resources

In many of these headers I used Photoshop brushes. You can actually download PS brushes and use them in Gimp; here's how: Downloading the brush set will usually give you a .zip file. Unzip it, and you will get an .abr file. Click and drag that file into the file destination that will look something like this: 
Computer // (C:) // Program Files // GIMP 2 // share // gimp // 2.0 // brushes
1. Coffee Time. Photoshop brushes - download here.  Font 'Signerica' - download here.
2. Not Today. Photoshop brushes - download here. (I used brush 719). Font 'Tamoro Script' - here.
3. The Who Girl. Font 'Kunstler Script' - here.
4. Monochrome. Photoshop brushes - download here.
5. Petals and Pearls. Floral pattern - download here.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for reading guys! I really hoped you liked my header designs, and if you have any questions, feel free to leave me a comment.
Until next time, sunshine! C

Blogger Bliss: Improving your Blog | Bloglovin'

Hello again you guys! I've been extremely busy with work and my personal life this past week, so my motivation to write blog posts has unfortunately been way down, which stinks, because I've been trying to get on an actual blogging schedule. It's hard when you work days/nights/evenings/whenever and can't commit your time to anything permanently.

Blogger Bliss: Improving Your Blog | Share Icons

Today I wanted to talk a little bit about improving your blog (in terms of presentation) and I want to share with you a few things that I went through to get my blog looking more professional. I visited so many websites and help posts and this and that... I figured if I could compile most of what I find helpful, then you'll be off to a great start.

Gimp 101: Favourite Fonts, Typography, & the Clone Tool

Hi guys! If you haven't seen my little guide on using & getting started with GIMP and how to edit your photos professionally, make sure you check it out before reading this, unless you're already familiar with the program and just want to learn a few new things!

How to Edit Your Photos Professionally | part one

Hello! Today I thought I would make a post about editing your photos, whether it's for Instagram or for your blog, or just because you want to make them look a little better. You don't need a fancy camera for beautiful looking pictures (though it helps). I've taken some great shots with a camera phone and good lighting.