One of the reasons we use the Genesis theme framework at WM Web Design is because Genesis has a large and sharing community.

That means that whatever problem you’re having you’ll be able to find a post, an article, a forum or even a real live person who will provide you with a solution or at least point you in the right direction.

I’m sure you can find your own resources but in this post I’d like to introduce you to three of those real flesh and blood people I mentioned.
They all have different looking websites, they all have individual writing styles, but they all have an in-depth knowledge of the Genesis theme framework and they are all willing to share.

Capture and tame the elusive sprite with Carrie Dils

Let’s kick off with my all time favourite Texas gal Carrie Dils.
Carrie writes technical posts (oh yes – code and everything!) but she does it in a way that has you chuckling to yourself from start to finish.

Carrie’s posts are always related to practical situations and often to specific Genesis child themes.
In her post Minimum Theme Circles Carrie shows you how to customise the four circular social icon links that appear on the homepage of the Minimum 2.0 child theme.

She introduces you to the relevant CSS and then shows you how to:

• Change the colour of the circles.
• Swap the mini icons within the circles for icons of your choice.
• Change the appearance of the circles and icons on hover.
• Change the circles into squares.
• Replace the icons with images / photos.

Like all Carrie’s tutorials the information is well laid out and beautifully explained and illustrated with images and screenshots.
She also provides links to a HEX colour values tool, free graphics from Studiopress and a CSS article on rounded corners.

If you enjoy Carrie’s article and you’d like to know more about the technique of using “compound images” positioned with CSS then check out Josh Byers on Sprites

Genesis 2 (beta) and HTML5 – Brad Dalton eases you in

The talk in the Genesis community for the past few months has all been about the imminent release of Genesis version 2.0 and the fact that it will have HTML5 markup.

Well we aren’t quite there yet, but a beta version of Genesis 2.0 has just been released and Brad Dalton has tried it out.
Brad has reported back in his post How To Enable HTML 5 In Genesis 2.0 Child Themes.

Brad explains that simply updating to Genesis version 2.0 won’t enable HTML 5 in your child theme.
In order to enable Genesis to output HTML 5 in your theme you need to add a line of PHP code to your theme’s functions.php file – fortunately Brad gives us the code.

He finishes by pointing out the main benefits of using HTML 5 markup, which are:

• HTML 5 Markup – check out this post to see the benefits of using HTML 5.
• Single Post Navigation – single post navigation links appear at the end of every post. This links all your posts together and makes it easier for the search bots to find all your posts when they crawl your site.
• HTML 5 Microdata – microdata provides search engines with more information about the contents of a page.

If you’re using a Genesis child theme and getting ready for version 2.0 coming out of beta then you need to prepare by reading Brad’s post.

It’s also worth reading the comments which point out some of the possible problems. Brandon Kraft in particular adds some very useful information.

BTW – the large header graphic for this post is a screenshot of the Sixteen Nine Genesis child theme. The theme is still in development but is likely to be the first Studiopress theme to be released for Genesis 2.0 and will have HTML5 markup.

The Genesis grid loop straightened out by Jonathan Perez

My final real person is Jonathan Perez of Sure Fire Web Services.

Jonathan is the developer of the Genesis Sandbox a starter theme for Genesis projects, but we’ll leave the Sandbox for another post.

Today I’d like to highlight Jonathan’s post and video on the Genesis Grid loop.

The WordPress loop is the bit of code that displays excerpts of your posts on your blog page. Usually they are listed in order one after the other.
The Genesis grid loop allows you to display post excerpts in multiple columns (a grid) and add featured posts.

Jonathan starts his post by giving us the code for his “easy genesis grid loop” and then breaks down the code and explains it piece by piece.

He provides the CSS needed to style the display of the post excerpts and finally… he adds a video showing how to carry out the edits.

This is Jonathan’s video:

When you read Jonathan’s post make sure that you also read the comments.
The first comment is from Bill Erickson an authority on the Genesis grid loop and Bill gives the thumbs up to Jonathan’s code.

Bill also mentions his own Genesis grid loop plugin, which you may want to try out.

Check out their sites and make sure you subscribe

Three Genesis peeps who have an in-depth knowledge of their subject and are willing to share with the rest of us:

Carrie Dils – for technical Genesis related tutorials delivered as only she knows how.

Brad Dalton – for as-it-happens news on Genesis framework development plus awesome code snippets.

Jonathan Perez – for going where few men dare tread and helping us understand the dreaded Genesis grid loop.

Don’t be shy, visit their websites, read their articles, ask questions and give them some feedback by leaving a few comments. And if you want to get the latest news ahead of the crowd… make sure you subscribe.

And finally… general links for keeping up to date with all things Genesis

If you want to keep up to date with the Genesis theme framework, the latest child themes and all things Genesis related here are a few useful general links:

Studiopress blog – get all the latest news here on Genesis developments and the latest child themes.

Studiopress community forums – find out about the problems that Genesis users are having and discover the solutions to those problems.

#genesiswp – the hashtag for Genesis on twitter. The ultimate place for up to the minute news and child theme “teasers” from Brian Gardner.

Thanks for visiting and don’t forget to let us have your thoughts on anything Genesis related in the comments below.

It’s easy to take a WordPress theme and strip it down to its bare essentials… but it’s not easy to make it look good.
In fact the more you strip a theme down the more the remaining elements have to work together perfectly.

A great example of how it should be done is Runway the latest Genesis child theme by Heather Jones of Viva la Violette.
A simple title and menu float in an ocean of whitespace and force the reader to focus on the most important part of the page… the content.

If you want to check out the simplicity, elegance and perfect proportions of this theme then head over to Studiopress and see Runway in action.

Runway was created to showcase your content in a clean, minimal, and fashionable space. Inspired by Pinterest and fashion bloggers, this theme is infinitely versatile and can be used by many.

Bring the power of Pinterest to your graphics rich site with the Runway theme

The minimalist design of Runway makes it perfect for displaying images. Your images could be related to fashion, photography, interior design, arts and crafts in fact anything which requires a strong visual input to get your message across.

You’re probably way ahead of me but whenever I think images I think… Pinterest.
And it looks as though Heather had the same thought because for each of this theme’s eight colour options, she’s provided a matching pin-it on hover button.

The pin-it on hover button works with the Pinterest Image Pinner plugin by Collective Bias. The plugin makes it super easy for your readers to pin your content.
Full instructions for setting up the plugin are provided with the theme.

Over 50 percent of online consumers have purchased based on Pinterest recommendations. That’s pretty powerful stuff. What’s more using Pinterest is a fun and effective way to help you establish credibility, so why not add it to your marketing mix?
Sarah Arrow – Blogging with a dash of Social Media

But the Pinterest connection doesn’t stop there.
The demo site shows pins in the sidebar, which is achieved using the Pinterest RSS Widget plugin.
You can configure the plugin to show pins from a selection of your boards or all of your boards and you can adjust the size of the pins.
Full instructions for setting up the plugin and excluding certain images are provided with the theme.

Runway provides you with the perfect canvas to display your images and allows you to take full advantage of the power of social media with Pinterest integration – a formidable combination.

Runway may be a minimal theme – but not when it comes to features

Even a calm serene theme like Runway needs a few features that make it easy for you to do a little customisation and make the theme your own.
Don’t worry this may be a lightweight theme but it comes with heavyweight features.

Theme Features include:

1. Mobile responsive – adapts to your visitors screen size and gives them the optimum viewing experience. A must-have feature to future-proof your website.
2. Eight colour styles – enough colour options to allow you to find the one that best matches your corporate colours. Choose from cobalt, plum, emerald, pink, crimson, aqua, gold and default.
3. Matching pin-it on hover button – all colour options have a matching pin-it on hover button so you stay fully coordinated.
4. Sticky menu – as soon as you start scrolling a sticky menu appears at the top of the page and lets your readers know exactly where they are.
5. Two layout options – choose between content-sidebar or sidebar-content for pages and posts.
6. Three page templates – blog, archive and column classes page templates.
7. Custom menus – supports WordPress custom menus.
8. Featured images – supports WordPress featured images.
9. Theme options – allows you to control many of your theme options from within the WordPress admin area.

Runway offers eight color options for you to choose from, a matching pin-it on hover button, and a sticky menu along the top so your readers never get lost again.
Heather Jones – Viva la Violette

Head over to Studiopress and pick up your copy of the Runway theme

If your website is image rich and you’d like to show those images to their best advantage then Runway would be a good choice of theme.
If you’d like to go further and integrate Pinterest and make it easy for readers to share and pin your images then Runway would be a great choice of theme.

To find out details of pricing etc. head over to Studiopress, put the Runway theme through its paces and see its features in action.
And don’t forget… for Pinterest integration, this may well be the perfect theme!

“The Runway theme provided all of the key elements I was looking for in a site design, as well as providing a clean and attractive look and feel. It was the perfect solution for my brand! ”
Anna Liesemeye – In Honour of Design

One of the big problems for any WordPress theme designer is coming up with something original. If you’ve tried it yourself, you know how difficult it is.
One guy who comes up with original themes and who does it theme after theme is Wes Straham of Appfinite themes.

I’ve no idea how he does it, but as if to prove me right, he’s just brought out a real honey of a theme… Epik 1.0.

Epik is the ultimate in big bold clear minimalist mobile responsive design and these qualities are already being put to good use by guys like multiple award-winning marketer and blogger Danny Brown.

If you want to see why guys like Danny are using Epik then head over to Studiopress and check out the demo version of the Epik theme.

Epik is an incredible theme designed specifically for startups, mobile apps, web apps, bloggers, portfolios, businesses…..and the list goes on.
Whatever your needs are, Epik can get the job done with its trendy, sleek, and minimalist design.
Epik was developed exclusively for the Genesis Framework

Why you should use the Epik child theme for your next website or blog

Epik is a Genesis child theme built for the Genesis theme framework and since Genesis is used on over 300,000 websites you’re dealing with a tried and trusted framework that you can have confidence in.

But if you’re looking for a few other reasons to use Epik on your next WordPress project, try these for starters:

1. Great eye-catching design – this theme has more than enough of the WOW factor to guarantee audience retention.
2. Mobile responsive – adapts to your visitors screen size and gives them the optimum viewing experience. A must-have feature to future-proof your website.
3. Fully widgetised homepage – you might think that Epik’s homepage is difficult to setup – think again. The homepage is fully widgetised, all you have to do is drag and drop a few widgets into the widget areas and type your text – job done!
4. Portfolio template included – the portfolio template allows you to display your goods, services or ??? in the form of a portfolio page. Take a look at the portfolio page on the demo site.
5. Buttons and boxes already styled – easily add styled buttons, message boxes, quote boxes and numbers using “classes” included in the theme’s stylesheet and graphics included with the theme. Here are the full instructions for using the buttons and boxes.

Epik may look good… but what about the features, does it have enough?

If there was a twitter hashtag for this theme it would have to be #fulloffeatures because like all Wes’s themes, this one is crammed full of useful and time saving features.

Here are a few to whet your appetite:

1. Ten colour styles – enough colour options to keep everyone happy. Choose from black, blue, dark blue, default, grey, green, pink, purple, orange and red.
2. Theme options – simple options panel to assist in setting up your site.
3. Six layout options – six different ways to display your design layout including a full width landing page.
4. Custom background – easily use your own custom background image or colour.
5. Custom header – easily upload your own custom logo using the WordPress uploader.
6. Cross browser compatible – Epik has been tested in all major browsers to ensure a consistent look.
7. Portfolio template – create a portfolio page to showcase your content.

The Epik theme includes the following features:
10 color styles, 6 layout options, custom menus, featured images, fixed width, mobile responsive, theme options, threaded comments.
Studiopress

Head on over to Studiopress and pick up your copy of the Epik 1.0 child theme

Like I said, Epik is the ultimate in big bold clear minimalist mobile responsive design.
Add to that ease-of-setup and all the features that this theme comes with and Epik really is a theme that you may want to use for your next website or blog.

To find out details of pricing etc. head over to Studiopress, put the Epik 1.0 theme through its paces and see its features in action.
And don’t forget… if Danny Brown is using Epik, it must be one awesome WordPress theme!

I really enjoy the simplicity and cleanliness of this terrific theme put out by StudioPress. It’s beautiful and minimal, without a ton of distracting design. Good choice.
Responsive Themes – Studiopress blog

Eh… come closer and I’ll whisper a secret.
I’ll tell you where you can find stunning free and premium images for your websites and blogs.

Why do you need to know that?

Because images are becoming more and more important in modern web design.
They’re getting bigger, more creative and much more professional.
The days of touching up an old image on Photoshop and uploading are long gone.

So where do you find great images?

I’ll tell you, but only if you promise to keep it a secret…….

Sources of free and premium images used by WM Web Design for client sites

We always advise clients to use their own images if possible but if they must use sourced images, to stay well away from the cheesy and clichéd images that you see on so many websites.

Steer clear of the smiling young lady at the switchboard, the two construction workers looking at blueprints and wearing shiny new yellow hard hats or the two business professionals shaking hands – yuk!

We try to pick images that fit in with the website, look natural and have a touch of the wow factor.

We source both free and premium images for our clients and these are the sources we use:

Our top two sources of free images

When you’re looking for free images you don’t want to spend ages sorting through random images hoping that the right one will suddenly appear. You want a source that has plenty of images, a comprehensive index system and allows you to search for keywords.

These are two sources that we’ve found easy to use, have a good range of images and good search facilities.

• Stock.XCHNG
• Flickr creative commons

Our top two sources of premium images

Sources of premium images tend to have a bigger collection and better indexing and search systems than the free sources. They also have attractive looking display interfaces where images enlarge as you hover over them.

These are our top two premium image sources that are easy to use and find just the right image.

• istockphoto
• Fotolia

Other sources of free images that we’ve used

From time to time we’ve also used free images from other sources. Here are a few that are all very different and some are pretty quirky, but they may be just what you’re looking for.

• MorgueFile
• Free.Foto
• deviantArt
• Microsoft Office Online

Sources of free and premium images recommended by the #Genesiswp community

I know that there are a lot of image sources out there but I didn’t want to just Google for them and then produce a list.
I wanted a list in which we could have some confidence.

So what did I do?

I asked the #Genesiswp community over on twitter to let me know where they get their images… and boy did they come good.
Here’s a list of their replies together with their twitter handles – if you get a minute, pay them a visit.

Susan Ramsey @affordpassions
I use bigstock.com – selection isn’t as great as istock, but pricing is excellent.

Robert Neu @realFATmedia
I use photodune.com sometimes. theadstock.com is pretty cool.
Also check out freebigpictures.com and the creative commons section of flickr.com

Bob Dunn @bobW
I use istock on occasion, liked pond5 when they first came out, now their prices have gone up,
freedigitalphotos is okay also, have used a bit of dreamstime

Zoomyimages @ZoomyImages
We have lots of great images! Let us know if you need any help! zoomyimages.com

Susan Nelson @OhHelloDesign
I recently discovered depositphotos.com and it seems decent. Also like 123rf.com
Actually, I should say @AllegraSinclair shared depositphotos.com with me. Seems like a great find so far!

Diane Kinney @gidgetthegeek
Some interesting stuff on morgueFile morguefile.com

Bradley Potter @bradleypotter
ShutterStock, DepositPhotos, PhotoDune

Shannon Dow @eightcrazy
Have you looked at creativemarket.com

Emily White @emwhitedesigns
Vectorstock is my go-to for illustrations. Most items only $1. Much of the same stock as istockphoto.

Other sources of free and premium images

This is your section of the post.
As you let me know of image sources that aren’t already included I’ll add them to this section.

I’ll start the ball rolling with a source that I discovered recently.

From @wmwebdes
Photoxpress

From @SarahArrow
Veer.com
Photo pin (free images)

Please help us to grow this resource by letting us know where you source your images

We’d like this post to become the web’s #1 resource for sources of free and premium images, but we can only do that with your help.
If you know of any other image sources that we’ve not mentioned or if you run a website that provides images then please let us know in the comments below and we’ll add them to the list

We’ll keep updating the list as we receive information so please keep stopping by to check for updates.

Look forward to hearing from you.

I have a client who runs a local re-upholstery business.
In his work he deals mostly with women so for his new website we needed to find a theme that was artistic and feminine and at the same time modern and packed with features.

I looked long and hard before I found the perfect theme and that theme was by Shannon Dow of Eight Crazy Designs and the name of the theme was… Fabric8ted 1.0.

Now that I’ve proclaimed Fabric8ted to be my perfect theme, I’d better put my money where my mouth is and explain what makes it so perfect.

The Fabric8ted Theme highlights muted color schemes as a backdrop to a theme that allows you to bring focus to multiple categories on your home page in a unique, organized, elegant fashion.
Shannon Dow – Eight Crazy Designs

The perfect theme for design, craft, decoration and furnishing websites and blogs

To explain why this theme is perfect let’s go back to my re-upholstery client.
When he visits a client he has to advise on patterns, textures, colours and colour coordination.
When people visit his website they expect to see some of the skills demonstrated that he uses in his business.

Fortunately Shannon has used all her visual skill and artistic flair on this theme…. leaving us to take all the praise.
Key features are:

• Colours and colour combinations – soft warm muted colours are used in perfect combinations to emphasise the themes stylish and feminine qualities.
• Mottled watercolour backgrounds – areas of solid colour are broken up with mottled watercolour backgrounds to introduce texture and add interest.
• Soft cursive font – “Sacramento” a gorgeous looking soft cursive font has been used to emphasise the feminine nature of this theme.
• Instagram and Pinterest integration – since this is a highly visual theme, you’ll want to get your images out into the world of social media. Instagram and Pinterest integration make sharing your graphics a breeze.

If you work in an area associated with design, crafts, decoration, furnishing, interior design or any field where colour coordination and presentation are important then Fabric8ted will provide you with the perfect backdrop to display your goods and services and demonstrate your visual skills.

Soft and curvaceous it may be… but still ram jam full of must-have features

I think that we’ve established that this is one great looking theme, but what about features?
Have features been sacrificed on the altar of good looks?
No way – this is one of the most feature rich themes you’ll find.

Features include:

• Three layout options – three layouts to choose from including a full width option.
• Custom home page layout – no need to stick with a blog style homepage. A fully widgetised homepage kicks in as soon as you start adding widgets.
• Custom header – easily upload and use your own custom header.
• Featured images – supports WordPress featured images.
• Footer widgets – a great big “fat” footer that you can populate with widgets of your choice.
• Call to action area with action button – a call to action area complete with “action” button right across the middle of your theme.
• Threaded comments – comes complete with threaded comments.
• Mobile responsive – adapts to your visitors screen size and gives them the optimum viewing experience. A must-have feature to future-proof your website.

Looks as though you can have your cake and eat it – a great looking theme packed with must-have features.

4 color styles, 3 layout options, call to action, custom header, featured images, footer widgets, mobile responsive, threaded comments
Studiopress

Head on over to Studiopress and pick up your copy of the Fabric8ted theme

Most of us could work for a lifetime and never come close to the fabulous colour combinations that Shannon puts together.
Teal and peach, purple and yellow, blue and pink, green and peach – not obvious colour combinations, but perfect when brought together in this theme.
That’s her skill and that’s what her themes will bring to your website.

To find out details of pricing etc. head over to Studiopress and put the Fabric8ted 1.0 theme through its paces and see its features in action.
And don’t forget… you’re looking at the perfect theme.

A beautifully elegant theme that boasts 4 lovely theme color options to choose from which create a heavenly backdrop for your content.
Shannon Dow – Eight Crazy Designs

WordPress developers love the Genesis theme framework.
They love it because they can create their own child themes using the Genesis sample theme, dabble with custom WordPress loops, produce dedicated Genesis plugins and wax lyrical about custom post types.

Now saying that the devs love Genesis is what Basil Fawlty would call stating the bleeding obvious, but it’s not just the devs who love Genesis.

Every day non techies start up Genesis websites and blogs or move over to Genesis from other theme frameworks.

So let’s give a shoutout and welcome three people who have just discovered Genesis and are putting it to good use.

Bill McKinley – the financial websites guy who is now doing his own thing using Minimum 2.0

Let’s start with Bill McKinley.
I bumped in to Bill on twitter and thought he sounded like an interesting guy so I visited his site and lo and behold found that Bill is running on the Minimum 2.0 Genesis child theme.

Reading from Bill’s bio it seems that he’s used to writing sales letters, email copy and website text and letting his “techie” guys sort out his WordPress related bits and pieces.

But this time he’s decided to get down and dirty by mastering the Minimum theme for his new website.

If you check out Bill’s website, you’ll see that he’s not gone for the big feature image on his home page, but he has added some nice touches.
I love Bill’s understated photo and those small info boxes that he’s used are a great idea, eye catching and a really effective way to display important information.

I’ve recently discovered the wonderful world of WordPress.
More importantly I’ve discovered an amazing WordPress platform called Genesis, which is the top-of-the-line framework for WordPress sites, such as this one.
Bill McKinley

Ms TaraDactyl – a far cry from an old fossil and producing customised client sites on Genesis

Next up is Ms TaraDactyl or Tara Jacobsen to be more precise.
Like Bill I met Tara on twitter and went over to look at her website.
Her own website is currently using the Thesis theme, but she is setting up client sites using Genesis.

This is an example of one of Tara’s client sites, where she has used the Education 2.0 child theme.
You’d be hard pushed to guess that she’s used the Education theme because it looks nothing like the default theme.
Tara has carried out intensive customisation to the theme and given her client a bespoke website.

The site also sports an eye catching logo and some great little 3D effect icons spread around the site.

I have been using Genesis for three months. Before that I used Thesis and Headway.
I like Genesis so much more.. great for using on client sites.
Tara Jacobsen

Mr Randy Cantrell – the hoola bula guy who has finally said goodbye to an old friend

Final Genesis newcomer is my good friend Randy Cantrell.
I’ve known Randy for ages and before you ask, no I didn’t meet him on twitter… Facebook actually.

Randy has always had a good looking site running on Thesis and I always got the impression that he loved his Thesis site.
Then one day… he announced with a tear in his eye and a lump in his throat, that he’d moved over to Genesis.

Sure enough Randy is now using Genesis with the Minimum 2.0 child theme and what a great job he’s made of setting up his theme.

If you head over to Randy’s website, you’ll notice that he’s used a spectacular black and white image on his homepage that adds impact, creates interest and injects just the right amount of humour.

He’s also added three gorgeous images to the “fat” footer widget areas and customised the Genesis bottom footer.

Longtime Thesis fan until 2.0. I’ve pretty much changed all my sites over to Genesis.
NO regrets!
Randy Cantrell

Please welcome Bill, Tara and Randy… the Genesis newcomers

Three people who have discovered the Genesis theme framework, embraced it and made it their own.
Starting from scratch they’ve all produced great looking websites.

Bill McKinley who has moved over from just writing copy, got himself involved with the nuts and bolts of running a website and is enjoying every minute of it.

Tara Jacobsen who has seen the advantages of using Genesis on her client sites and is now using it to give them highly customised websites.

Randy Cantrell who has said goodbye to Thesis after many years and is now running on Genesis… with no regrets.

And so ladies and gentlemen all that remains for me to do is to ask you to please stand, raise your glass and welcome Bill, Tara and Randy… the Genesis newcomers.

There was a time when all you had to do if you wanted a blog or a website, was setup a WordPress install, install a free theme, write a few pages and posts… and you were hailed an internet genius.
Unfortunately… those days are gone.

There are now so many professional sites out there that in order to get your share of the action and attention your site has to be fast, mobile responsive, easy to navigate and look absolutely stunning.

And that’s what this post is about.
It’s about introducing you to WordPress themes and frameworks that will put you ahead of the crowd and guarantee you your share of attention.

The stunning and feature rich themes and plugins of Elegant Themes

Let’s set the bar high and start with Elegant Themes.
Elegant themes isn’t a theme framework, it’s a collection of themes, and those themes are amongst the most gorgeous you’ll find anywhere on the internet.

With Elegant themes you pay a yearly subscription and that gives you access to their themes, plugins and support forum.

I’ll let you judge for yourself just how good their themes look, but here are my reasons for recommending Elegant Themes for your next website or blog.

1. Probably the best value of any premium themes on the market today – at $39 for 82 themes, you are only paying $0.47 per theme!
2. You don’t just get themes, you get awesome plugins – Elegant Page Builder and Maintenance Mode Plugin are just two of the plugins that you get access to.
3. The collection of page templates puts most other themes to shame – eight page templates including contact form, image gallery and multimedia portfolio.
4. Theme Options via ePanel – configure your settings from within your WordPress dashboard.
5. Shortcodes – a great collection of shortcodes for boxes, buttons, toggled content and more.
6. Support – support from the Elegant Themes support forum.

Six great reasons, but take another look at #5, Theme Options via ePanel.

The Elegant Themes ePanel appears in your WordPress dashboard when you activate an ET theme.
It allows you to configure your settings for general settings, navigation, layout, ad management, theme colours, SEO and much more.
The ePanel is a great time saver and the perfect way to setup your website.

For the all-inclusive price of $39, you are only paying $0.47 per theme!
Join our 176,147 happy customers and get complete access to our 82 themes
100% Satisfaction Guaranteed Or Your Money Back!
Nick Roach – Elegant Themes

Bring your ideas to life with the Catalyst theme framework and the Dynamik child theme

Catalyst is a WordPress theme framework which means that you have a child theme working in conjunction with the core Catalyst theme – all edits are made to the child theme.

The child theme that comes with the Catalyst Theme Framework is called Dynamik and what a child theme it is!

Dynamik acts as your design controls for Catalyst allowing you to control fonts, background, border, padding, margins, widths and every other aspect of your site and all with little or no coding skills.
And should you need to add any CSS… Catalyst comes with a custom CSS builder that will write the code for you.

If you didn’t follow any of that, don’t worry because Eric Hamm the developer of Catalyst has produced a short video, which explains all.

That’s the whistle stop overview of what makes Catalyst different, and just to remind, here are the main points:

Core options

• Clean efficient code
• Built-in SEO
• Lots of options to control the basics

Dynamik child theme / Dynamik options

• Dynamik child theme acts as the design controls for Catalyst
• Gives you over 800 options grouped for easy access
• Options covers fonts, backgrounds, borders, padding etc

Advanced options (control of framework and structure of site)

• Can create an unlimited number of custom layouts
• Widget areas and hook boxes
• Little or no coding required

With the Catalyst theme framework and its design controls, you really can produce any theme that you can imagine.
To get a feel for the power of Catalyst take a look at this how to reproduce a theme video by Eric Hamm.

With Catalyst you get much more than a simple WordPress “Skin”. We’re talking a complete Web Design Toolkit, ready for action. From basic blogs to full blown CMS sites, Catalyst provides all you need to take your online venture to the next level!
Eric Hamm – Catalyst theme framework

The lean mean WordPress machine that is the Genesis theme framework by Studiopress

Genisis is produced by Studiopress and it’s a WordPress theme framework.

Mashable calls Genesis: “the best of the best among WordPress premium frameworks” and with over 86,000 website owners using Genesis it’s probably the most popular framework out there.

It’s also well documented and has an awesome support community.

You can work with the Genesis Theme Framework whatever your level of coding skills.
Developers love it because it allows them to get down and dirty with the code and build their own child themes.
Beginners love it because they can have a site up and running in just a few hours using one of the many available child themes.

Here are my top five reasons for choosing the Genesis theme framework:

1. State of the art code – gives you a site that loads quickly and is lightening fast.
2. Built-in Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – optimise pages and posts from within your WordPress dashboard.
3. Smart design architecture – allows the various areas of your site to be customised to suit your particular requirements.
4. A great collection of gorgeous child themes – choose from the themes produced by Studiopress or themes produced by other Genesis developers.
5. Mobile responsive child themes – your website will adapt to your visitor’s screen size and give them the optimum viewing experience.

To give you an idea of the quality of the child themes available, take a look at the Genesis child themes for themes produced by Studiopress or the Genesis community marketplace themes for themes produced by Genesis developers.

When you buy a Genesis theme, you are getting state of the art code, smart design architecture as well as an array of beautiful frames for your content. You get unlimited access to our support forum, as well as unlimited theme updates.
Genesis is the foundation of any smart WordPress design.
Brian Gardner – Studiopress

Genesis, Catalyst and Elegant Themes – which one is right for you?

Three great sources of premium WordPress themes produced by organisations which are well known, well established and have a solid reputation within the WordPress community.

So how do you choose which is right for you? This short summary should help you decide:

Elegant themes – If you’re looking for a great value traditional WordPress theme that is guaranteed to grab attention and can be easily setup using the ET ePanel then Elegant Themes is the way to go.

Catalyst theme framework – If you’d like a theme framework that will provide you with a blank canvas and the tools to create your own unique themes, then the Catalyst Theme Framework will give you just that.

Genesis theme framework – if you want to have a site up and running in double quick time then go with the Genesis Theme Framework and one of its many child themes. You can then add tweaks and changes as your coding skills improve.

And don’t forget that all three come with a thirty day money back guarantee so if you change your mind you can get a refund and start again.

Whichever way you go, we wish you every success with your next website or blog.

I first came across Bob Dunn and his wife Judy over on Danny Brown’s blog “For Bloggers by Bloggers”.
I learnt most of what I know about blogging from that site via great posts from Bob and Judy, Danny Brown himself and other A list bloggers such as Sarah Arrow, Brankica Underwood and Joey Strawn.

But Bob didn’t make it onto my Genesis people list because of his blogging skills, he made it because he’s produced some of the best Genesis related videos that you’ll find on the net today and… they’re absolutely free.

Bob’s produced over a dozen Genesis related videos covering such things as settings, widgets, and plugins so let’s jump straight in and see what gems we can find.

I’m a WordPress trainer, coach & blogger. Social media fanatic. I also appreciate a good LOL comedy and dry vodka martini.
Starbucks keeps me awake.
Bob Dunn

Customise your theme with the Custom features of the Genesis theme framework

One of the great things about the Genesis theme framework is the ability to customise your child theme.

Last time I looked Bob was running his main site using the Minimum 2.0 Genesis child theme but it looks a lot different to the default Minimum 2.0 setup, because he’s customised it.

Now I’m not saying that watching a couple of videos will turn you into a WordPress dev, but a great way to customise your theme and really make it your own is to add a header or background image.

In this video, Bob shows you how.

That’s how easy it is to put your stamp on your WordPress theme with a custom header or background.
And just to remind you of a couple of points that Bob made:

• Make sure that your header image is exactly the right size to avoid having to crop.
• If you’re using a large background image, optimise it for the web before you upload.

Bob has also produced videos on Genesis General Theme Settings and the all important Genesis SEO Settings.
Two great videos that will help you become familiar with the Genesis theme framework.

Genesis default widgets – populate your pages and posts with these fabulous widgets

Have you ever looked at a Genesis child theme and thought how complicated the homepage looks and how difficult it would be to set it up? It may even have put you off moving over to a Genesis theme.

Well think again, because most child theme homepages are setup using the Genesis default widgets that come with every theme.

All you have to do is drag one of those widgets into a widget area, add a title and a little text and hit save – job done.

In this video Bob uses the Genesis News child theme to introduce you to the Genesis default widgets and shows you how easy it is to set them up.

The default widgets covered are: Genesis Featured Page, Genesis Featured Posts, Genesis Latest Tweets and Genesis User Profile.

See what I mean?
Even the most complex of homepages can be setup without any coding skills using the Genesis default widgets.

Maybe it’s time you took another look at that Genesis theme that you always promised yourself.

Dedicated Genesis plugins – why and how to use them

Another stand-out feature of Genesis is the number of dedicated plugins available – fortunately Bob has covered plugins in detail.

His videos dedicated to plugins include:

• Genesis Simple Sidebars
• Genesis Simple Menus
• Genesis Simple Edits
• Genesis Simple Comments
• Genesis Simple Hooks
• Genesis Simple Breadcrumbs
• Genesis Responsive Slider

These are all great time saving plugins aimed at the non coder so let’s take a look at Bob’s video on the Genesis Simple Edits plugin.

I know that all these plugins are called “simple” but figuring out from scratch how to use them is far from simple.
With Bob’s videos you can remove that steep learning curve and use these great plugins like a Genesis pro.

Bob Dunn – the non geeky geek bringing the power of Video to Genesis

If you’ve been thinking of moving over to the Genesis theme framework, but don’t know much about Genesis, then Bob’s videos are a great place to start.

These are in-depth videos aimed at the non coder who wants to get the most out of the framework and wants to get a blog or website up and running as quickly as possible.

Please visit Bob’s website for a full list of his Genesis related videos.

His knowledge is extensive, but unlike some other experts, he never takes a “tone” with the less fortunate!
Bob describes himself as a non-geeky geek, and this is true.
Kathy Paul – Writer

That’s about it folks so it only remains for me to say….

Thanks for the videos, thanks for being a non geeky geek and special thanks for the blogging tips you gave me all those years ago.
Ladies and gentlemen I give you your own your very own… Mr Bob Dunn.

I don’t know how good your geography is, but you may have heard of a little state in the good old US of A called Texas.

It’s famous for oil, the TV series Dallas (didn’t you just love JR), the battle of the Alamo and… Genesis WordPress theme designers.
Genesis WordPress theme designers?
Yes… and if you don’t believe me head over to twitter and take a look under the Genesis hashtag #genesiswp.

Along with lots of others you’ll find:

• Carrie Dils who runs CarrieDils over in Fort Worth.
• Susan Ramsey over at Real Girl Designs again in Fort Worth.
• Aida Rojas in Dallas who runs Dallas Internet Marketing,WordPress, & SEO.
• Dorian Speed located outside Houston who runs Bring your Website up to speed.
• Lindsey Riel in San Antonio who runs Pretty Darn Cute Design.
• Jessica Barnard AKA thepixelista in Dallas who runs The Pixelista.
• Lauren Gulde in College Station who runs StClaraDesign.

All in Texas and all fabulous WordPress designers.

I’d love to write a section in this post for each of them, but time and bandwidth wait for no man so I’m going to pick out three.

Three people who bring something different, something special and something unique to the genesis people party and who weave their WordPress magic…. deep in the heart of Texas.

Carrie Dils – these boots were made for walking…

No post on Genesis and the Texas connection would be complete without mentioning Carrie Dils.

Carrie is currently running her site on the Modern Portfolio genesis child theme, but she has previous when it comes to changing themes so don’t be surprised if she’s using something else when you pay her a visit.

Carrie’s strength is her ability to explain coding and theme customisation in a light hearted and humorous fashion.
She obviously enjoys helping the rest of us and that sense of fun and enjoyment comes across when you read her posts.

But don’t be fooled by Carrie’s light hearted touch… this is solid and practical coding advice explained with the help of graphics, screenshots and code snippets by someone who is in perfect control of their subject.

Carrie is also a great advocate of of the Genesis Extender plugin and her post MacGyver’s Top 10 Tips for Genesis Extender is a great example of just how talented she is and a must read if you want to learn how to customise genesis child themes using the Extender.

If you’re the sort of person who has to lie down in a darkened room at the very mention of your functions.php file then you’ll love Carrie’s website, you’ll enjoy her sense of humour and her tutorials will be a real life saver.

Just remember it like this: Dallas is for city slickers and Fort Worth is “where the west begins”.
Carrie Dils

Susan Ramsey – the queen of the Studiopress forum…

Susan’s not been on the Genesis scene long, but boy…. has she made an impact!

Susan runs Real Girl Designs, which is currently sporting the Metro genesis child theme.
She’ll set you up a genesis website in double quick time or you can hire her for theme customisation on an hourly basis.

Real Girl Designs is a fabulous website, but that’s not why Susan has made my shortlist of Genesis people.
Susan is sometimes seized by that same dark unreasonable urge that impels women to clean the house in the middle of the night… and when that urge strikes, she hits the Studiopress forum.

To give you an Idea of how much help Susan has given in the forum, I’ve been over there and copied her stats, which are:

Profile: British born, Australian raised, American. Wife, mother, project manager, student, stitcher, crafter, blogger, and now fan of StudioPress. When I’m not here, you can find me helping others build their sites: http://www.realgirldesigns.com, or assisting over at the Pretty Darn Cute and 316 Restored support desks.

Forum Role: Moderator

Topics Started: 14

Replies Created: 1,145

Take a look at that final item Replies Created: 1,145!
That gives you an idea of just how much time and effort Susan has given in the forum to help people out with their genesis theme problems.

If the Spice Girls brought us girl power then Susan has brought us girly girl power and I along with many many others have benefited from it.

@wmwebdes @cdils – There is no such thing as “too pink” #girlygirl
Susan Ramsay

Lindsey Riel – a pretty darn cute designer….

Lindsey started out creating websites in Notepad before she discovered the magic of WordPress.
From that modest beginning she’s gone on to build Pretty Darn Cute Design into a rapidly expanding graphics and web design consulting business and she now works with people from all over the world.

She’s also the developer of three of the most popular genesis child themes in the Genesis Community Marketplace.

Lindsey’s themes are:

• Adorable Theme
• Modern Blogger Theme
• MomPreneur Theme

I’ve included Lindsey because she’s provided us with a great example of how to use WordPress, Genesis, creative talent and a lot of hard work to turn a website into a business.

Pretty Darn Cute Design is the perfect example of what Sonia Simone meant when she said…

Websites don’t make money. Businesses make money.
Sonia Simone

If you have design skills, you like using WordPress, you’ve started playing around with Genesis and you’re wondering what to do next…. take a little inspiration from Lindsey and start a website.

Not just any old website, but a website that’s a business and a business… that makes money.
And don’t forget to thank Lindsey for providing you with the perfect model.

A (very) proud self-proclaimed computer nerd. I work with everything from the whimsical and light hearted to the serious professional. I want everyone to have a Pretty Darn Cute Website with as little cost as possible.
Lindsey Riel

Texas – famous for oil, Dallas, the battle of the Alamo and… WordPress web designers

Like I said at the beginning “I’d love to write a section in this post for each of them, but time and bandwidth wait for no man so I’m going to pick out three.” so first my sincere apologies to the web designers whom I’ve not included.

Second I have to thank the three designers I have included:

• Carrie Dills – for sharing her code and helping us go where most men fear to tread.
• Susan Ramsey – for the time, effort and commitment she puts into the Studiopress forum.
• Lindsey Riel – for showing us how to setup a branded website and turn that website into a real business.

Once again ladies and gentlemen I ask you to put your hands together and welcome your own, your very own… Carrie Dils, Susan Ramsey and Lindsey Riel.

This is my first post in a series about Genesis people.
Who are Genesis people?
They’re the people who work with the Genesis theme framework, the people who develop Genesis, the people who teach Genesis, the people who give their time and are involved in the Genesis community in short… the people who help and inspire the rest of us.

So the big question is… who gets to start the series?

Is it one of the senior management guys over at Studiopress, is it one of their top notch coders or is it one of their ace designers?
It’s none of the above, but it is one of the most artistic, creative and talented people in the Genesis community.

Ladies and gentlemen please put your hands together and welcome your own, your very own… Mr Ted Vieira.

Ted Vieira – Musician

Let’s start with Ted the musician over at Tedvieira.com. This is Ted’s personal site and it’s dedicated to his pastime and obvious passion, which is playing Jazz Guitar.

On this site you’ll find eBooks, CDs, videos and online lessons all dedicated to playing jazz guitar.

Is Ted any good?
Don’t ask me, I’m a blues and rock man, but you can judge for yourself….

I’ve been lucky enough to have played jazz guitar for over 30 years (and counting!).
I’ve played in every venue imaginable, from International Jazz Festivals to small intimate clubs, and everything in between. I still look forward to whatever gig is coming up next, or just getting together with friends and playing in someone’s studio.
Ted Vieira

Ted Vieiria – Photographer

From the musician to the photographer and Ted the photographer has two sites – his professional photography site and his black and white playground.

Las Vegas Portrait, Fashion and Glamour Photography – is Ted’s professional photography website, his day-job site.

This is a showcase site for Ted’s photography business in Las Vegas.

The site features:

• A portfolio of work – includes Beauty, Portrait, Lingerie & Boudoir and Fashion photography.
• A blog on anything and everything related to photography – includes posts on models, projects, photoshoots, equipment and bridges…. bridges? Yes bridges.
• A video blog of photography related topics – a collection of videos with musical accompaniment that sets the scene and puts you in just the right mood – check out the example below:

This site runs on Pano, which is a child theme based on the Minimum 2.0 child theme by StudioPress.
It’s a great example of taking a child theme and customising it to make it your own.

Take a look at the top menu items and see how nicely styled the hover effect is.
If you want to check out the CSS use Firebug or the Chrome developer tools and maybe do something similar on your own website.

I love the creative potential of photography. It’s one of my passions. (obsessions?) Anyway, it’s one of the things I enjoy doing most. I could shoot photos all day long (and often do), and I love looking at photos all day long! (and often do!)
I live in Las Vegas, Nevada and love photographing the natural beauty of the area, the exciting and iconic shapes of The Strip and the people that make this such a beautiful place.
Ted Vieira

Black and White Life – is the site where Ted indulges his passion and flaunts his love affair with Black and White photography.

For me this is Ted’s best site.
It features geeky stuff about cameras and camera equipment plus black and white shots from around the streets of Las Vegas.
The shots are so natural that they even convince me that I could take shots that look that good.

It also features video complete with gorgeous soundtracks that make this site a complete viewing experience.
Take a look at Vegas Rain below:

A fantastic looking website based on the Metro Genesis child theme and painted in black and white with just a splash of gold.

Black and white images are classic; timeless; and to me, more artistic. Again, these are just my feelings. There are some incredible artists out there that do such amazing work with color, and I love that too…. They just don’t naturally catch my attention as much.
Ted Vieira

Ted Vieria – Web Designer

If Ted were just a musician and a photographer, he probably wouldn’t be appearing in this series, but there’s more…. Ted also runs Image Perceptions a Las Vegas web design and content marketing consultancy.

This site uses a stunningly customised variation of the Minimum 2.0 child theme and it features:

• Web Design and Development Portfolio – a collection of recent website projects. One includes Michael Phelps. Doesn’t he do a bit of swimming?
• A blog – full of posts on website related issues such as content marketing, mobile responsive design and the launch of new websites.
• WordPress resources – including free eBooks to help you manage your website and build your online brand and a great collection of WordPress tutorials.
  Take a look at the video on WordPress custom menus below:

A state-of-the-art web developer website with an emphasis on visual impact, mobile responsive design, simple and easy to use ecommerce / shopping cart solutions and a strong online platform for content marketing and brand building.

Your image is my primary concern. I focus on developing the design and presentation of your image and message with a level of professionalism and unique sophistication, so that when the site is found, the visitor can sense the level of your integrity, and feel confident and secure in pursuing and using your business.
Ted Vieira

Genesis people – Ted Vieira – Musician, Photographer and Web Designer

This series is about showcasing the most talented, the most creative and the most committed people associated with the Genesis theme framework.

In many respects Ted is the perfect candidate to take #1 spot.
He mixes creativity and artistic flair with the nitty gritty of website design and still finds time to help and be involved in the Genesis community.

Like I said at the beginning:
Ladies and gentlemen please put your hands together and welcome your own, your very own… Mr Ted Vieira.