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What's Possible with CSS Customization?

  1. chakrama1
    Member

    Hi

    I am a newbie to WordPress but know some html and a little bit of CSS. I gather that any changes to the HTML templates is pretty much out of the question, so just wanted to know what you can do by customizing the CSS?

    I just wanted to use WordPress as my portfolio site (so would use mainly pages) - with some occasional posts thrown in for good measure.

    Ideally, I would like something like this: http://www.jonathanpinnock.com/

    But for that, do I need to bite the bullet and go over to wordpress.org and find a web host? Though I have just paid for the CSS upgrade - so would rather perservere with wordpress.com.

    Anyway, any tips, hints would be much appreciated. Eveb if its just to say which template is the most malleable.

    Thanks

    C

  2. rosclarke
    Member

    If you want something really flexible, use Sandbox (make sure it's the newer version) and for a look like the one you link to, select the three-column version. If you're good with the CSS, then you can make it look almost any way you choose.

  3. rosclarke
    Member

    This thread gives you the CSS code you'd use to recreate the Kubrick theme in Sandbox. It's a good place to start with customization because you can see what's there and what can be changed.

  4. yellaojrak
    Member

    Anyway, where do you choose 2-columns, 3-colums in Sandbox?

  5. vivianpaige
    Member

    If you are using 1.0, you don't. They didn't put the skins in there. But Google it and you'll find the codes for it.

  6. chakrama1
    Member

    Thanks, Ros: I will have a play with the Kubrick theme. And see how it goes.

  7. raincoaster
    Member

    I really don't think you want to poke around with Kubrick. Although it's established, it's notoriously hard to deal with.

  8. yellaojrak
    Member

    @vivian
    AaaahHHH, I thought I could find it somewhere deep inside my dashboard!

    Google. Yes. Thank you!

  9. vivianpaige
    Member

    Yeah - that's what created a problem for me, too :( (And how I ended up coding my blog in the older version instead of the newer one.)

  10. rosclarke
    Member

    @raincoaster, I didn't suggest she play with actual Kubrick, but the Sandbox Kubrick which has all the code laid out. I found that a really helpful way to start customising my blog.

  11. masterclasslady
    Member

    Oh my - http://www.jonathanpinnock.com/ is a beautiful site, isn't it?

    Makes me want to bite the bullet and "Sandbox" my site. Now, I just have to find some "time".

  12. vivianpaige
    Member

    That site isn't coded in Sandbox, by the way. He's using a WordPress theme called Blue Zinfandel. But given the flexibility of Sandbox, it wouldn't be that hard to recreate.

  13. masterclasslady
    Member

    Yes, I knew that it wasn't Sandbox. But, with CSS and Sandbox, one can certainly create some spectacular sites.

    By the way, Vivian, your site looks remarkable. Really good work. Congratulations.

  14. masterclasslady
    Member

    Also, I stole you blockquote customization. I love the blue background. Hope you don't mind, Vivian.

  15. yellaojrak
    Member

    I got Blue Zinfandel codes waiting to join my Sandbox but I couldn't find time to study its elements. Even now my blog is half naked. No sidebar.

  16. vivianpaige
    Member

    @masterclasslady - glad you like the site :) And steal whatever you like (although that background shows grey on my computer?) - I certainly stole enough from other places ;)

    @yellaojrak - it actually looks pretty simple, especially if you are familiar with Sandbox. (In fact, it looked so simple, I was thinking of giving it a whirl for one of my blogs - in my spare time, of course, of which there is none :()

  17. jonathanpinnock
    Member

    My ears are burning :)

    Many thanks for your kind comments. As vivianpage has correctly surmised, my site was created very simply using Blue Zinfandel (a look that I borrowed from a guy called Adrian Graham, who has since changed his site - in fact he seems to change his layout at least once a week: http://www.adriangraham.co.uk/). One of these days, I'll get around to tinkering with it a bit. But despite the fact that my day job is in software development, when it comes to web stuff, I work on a need to know basis, and I like to keep things as simple as possible. I guess the guy who's really responsible for the way my site looks is the chap who invented Blue Zinfandel: http://www.briangardner.com/.

  18. masterclasslady
    Member

    Thanks Vivian. Will make the color change, as I love the light blue "look".

    And, jonathanpinnock, you are so correct. "Clean" is the way to go. You and Vivian have gorgeous sites. So easy to read and so well-formulated.

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