Nearing April

For some reason the creative juices aren't flowing this morning and I am a bit depressed. I hate it when I get to feeling this way but it happens. 

As I have said in many postings, family is very important to me and I do not favor anyone over anyone else. They are all important and loved, but sometimes one family member can cause a lot of friction and I am very hurt by this. I wish it didn't cause me heartache, but it does and then I get depressed. 

Families get very complicated over time and I think I have said enough. I just had to sound off a bit. 

I hope you like the new look of my blog. I think it is rather springy, if that is a word!  You can find the Persona lightweight background theme at: https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/463151 on Mozilla and at: http://gallery.brandthunder.com/en-US/theme/824ca612-7e20-4ca3-bbf9-1594ddb6f774  for IE and Firefox at Brand Thunder. 

I will explain a bit more about Firefox Persona's, which will be called either lightweight themes or background themes. I don't know for sure what they have decided and personally don't care. I think it was a mistake and foolish to change the name of something that was so popular. It will just cause a lot of confusion. That is neither here nor there, it is done. 

I am adding my name to all of the themes on Brand Thunder and you can find most of them at: http://gallery.brandthunder.com/en-US/gallery/All/search/1?p=MaDonna. I still have a bunch to change but as of right now I can't get back on that specific site to change so there are about 100 more I have made that won't come up until that happens.

I think I better sign off for the time being and try to get something going. It was a beautiful sunshiny weekend but dark and drizzly today and will be all week. Kind of like the mood I am in. 

Twitter

Good morning, all...Just thought I would let you know I am on Twitter now. I am learning how to use it, etc. so be patient.  @MaDonnasPersona. I think that is how you can find me! So check it out and follow me if you can find me!

 

Sparkle Dream Pinks

https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/459536

http://gallery.brandthunder.com/en-US/theme/6e09034c-8643-4f18-8f78-06d4269d32a3

I am featuring the theme I am using and is one of my favorites right now. It also won Theme of the Week last week on Brand Thunder. So if you use Internet Explorer you can still have a great look to your browser by going to Brand Thunder and downloading it.

I just found out today that Mozilla is changing the names of their Persona's to themes and the name Persona will mean something else entirely. They didn't take into consideration what the designers wanted at all which really upsets me, but that is the way it is. So I have changed the name of my blog as you may have noticed. I may have to do a lot of editing on my wallpapers, etc. but that is the way the ball bounces. 

I won the Celebrity Theme contest on Brand Thunder which really pleased me. I am saving my winnings in hopes of purchasing a Kindle Fire, but have a way to go yet. 

I hope you all have a great week end and will get back here soon.

March into March

Irish Fairy

https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/460057

Well, today is my 73rd birthday and I must admit I felt like it when I got up this morning, but much better now. I decided today would be a good day to do an update on the blog, so here I am! I haven't made many St. Patricks Day themes or Personas this year...so better get going on it. I don't have a lot of graphics for it so won't get too far. I like the one above called Irish Fairy.

One of my grandsons works with Photoshop and we were able to get together and he showed me some things and I showed him some and shared all of my brushes with him. He actually gave me the courage to try some new things and it has been amazing for me. I usually just stuck with what I knew and once in awhile I would do something amazing but not know how I did it! So now I am writing things down. If you have ever worked with Photoshop you know it is a very intense program with many, many, many features. I have wondered many times how designers get a certain look when I know it is not "real". So now I am able to do some clipping, (thanks, Steven) and smuding. It has made designing more fun with a better final project.

I have found out that Mozilla may change the names of the Personas and call them themes or skins or something else. I put my 2 cents in and hope they don't. I don't know if I would have to change my blog name or just keep it the same. In my mind they will always be Personas so I doubt if I change it.

I am in another contest on Brand Thunder right now, too. Making Celebrity Themes. I am not into celebrities that much so have had to kind of ask around about who they thought would be good candidates for me to work on. Of course I had a few ideas and have done those and Steven (grandson) suggested Eminem. I knew who he was but not much so had to do a Wikipedia search. As I have said before in my blog I love watching the PBR, Professional Bull Riding so made one of my favorite rider, JB Mauney. There is no voting in this contest and I am glad of that because I don't have enough publicity to get anyone to vote except family members and some fans.  I know I should do Facebook but I can't even keep my blog up very good so doubt if I would do Facebook very much. I must be about the only person in the world that doesn't though! 

Well, I hope everyone has a good day and march into March.

Till next time!

February Events

The Heart Demands

https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/455177

Well, we are into the 2nd month of 2012. It is really hard to believe this year is going as fast as last year.

I was going to stop making Valentine designs but I didn't as you can tell. I still have more graphics I want to use but if you don't get your holiday designs on early they really don't get used as much. The one above is a very simple design but i like it and others are beginning to like it also.

I discovered something new this past week. I wanted a wallpaper on my cell phone that was one of my designs so I tried taking a photo of the wallpaper on my monitor and using it as my cell phone wallpaper. And it worked! The design I used was: Sunset Beginning:  http://nature.desktopnexus.com/wallpaper/955080  and it looks great. I used more of the corner with the flower, butterflies and humming bird. If you try it, let me know how it works for you. I did have to move my on screen icons because I didn't want them showing but I try to keep my screen uncluttered if possible so don't have tons of them to move.

Don't have much to report but did want to check in and let you all know I am still here. I wish I could quit working so hard but I have all these ideas and they need to be put to use.

Have a great Valentines Day and Happy Birthday to my baby sister. I love you and miss seeing you.

Just Amazing!

Just Amazing

https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/451152

Desktop Wallpaper

Brand Thunder Theme
http://gallery.brandthunder.com/en-US/theme/93aea433-e3bc-42ab-86f1-5769d82956f1

Hi again and welcome new followers. I am not very good at checking in often like most blogger's do, so I am hopeful you will have patience with me. I just get so involved in designing the wallpapers and themes that I run out of time! You would not believe how many hours a day I work...or maybe you would, I don't know. I used to sew the same way, just lose time...sometimes it is worth it and sometimes not.

The design I am displaying today is one that got popular very quick. I knew I liked it, but you never know if others will or not. I have posted the link for the Mozilla Firefox site, wallpaper and Brand Thunder site. I have noticed that some designs I submitted in 2009 are getting a lot of use all of a sudden so I wonder if it is from some of the followers that are beginning to know me and my work.

We just got through a terrible week of weather. Snow, freezing, northeast wind...you mention it, we had it. It was 11 degrees here for several days with that horrible northeast wind so with the wind factor, was much colder.  There are still drifts in our yard but almost gone. We had gotten in to town the Saturday before it started so didn't need anything so stayed home. AND WORKED! 

Our New Years day turned out to be not a good start for the year. We were robbed that night. Someone or more than one got into our shop and went through everything and stole a lot of things. It is quite a shock to get up in the morning and look out the window to see a shop door open when you know it was closed and locked the night before. It has taken my husband days to go through things and try to find what is missing. He works hard and helps people out that don't have much money to keep their vehicles running for them and to have someone come in and steal tools, etc. that lets him help people is really disgusting. That is not the kind of world I want to live in but it seems to be the way it is now. So I advise any and all of you to go through things and make sure you have serial numbers, etc.  If you have a camera, take a photo of the serial numbers on items as that is almost easier than writing down a ton of numbers, put the photos on a disc or flash drive and keep them somewhere safe. I learned this a little late! So don't be like me and close the barn door after the horses got out!


I am working on Valentine Day themes right now but already getting tired of them! And it isn't even February. I enjoy making the nature ones with forests, trees, etc. best. So don't think I will make too many Valentine ones, but do have some graphics I want to use so will make some more. 


I am going to sign off for today. But I happened to check the blog the other day and saw I had a couple more followers and wanted to welcome them and hope they check in more often than I do!


Thanks for using my work. That is why I keep doing it. 


Have a great week and hope you are all warm and cozy.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

New Years Celebration

https://www.getpersonas.com/en-US/persona/447741

I hope you all had a nice Christmas or whatever you celebrate at this time of year. I loved having toddlers around for Christmas Eve. What is more fun than watching little kids open gifts, eating too much and celebrating the season with the family you love? But honestly I am glad it is all over. It seems like I worked on Christmas designs for months. Actually I didn't but it seemed like it.

I have a lot of designs on Brand Thunder now and they seem to be quite popular. I am afraid I got too involved in the contest. I wish they hadn't shown the running results. I think we would have all been happier if they hadn't but I knew by early the last evening I didn't have a chance of winning because the competition was getting a lot of last minute interest. I was told by many they like my design much better and couldn't figure out what his was. But apparently a lot of people liked it because he won. I am a traditionalist and like the old standby. That is probably an age thing!

I just wanted to check in and wish you all a Happy New Year and hope for a great 2012.