As promised, the previews of the winners of the BSP Blogskins Contest:

cicakgirl

click to enlarge

paperlove

click to enlarge

wishix

click to enlarge

As you have noticed, we have changed the BSP template already. Also, we would like to take this opportunity to thank manikka again! (Watch out for her interview, as we will be interviewing her soon!)

To FF users (like myself),
Our current blog layout, designed by cicakgirl, is not Mozilla Firefox compatible, but it can still function properly in FF, apart from the lack of background colour.

To cickagirl (if you see this!),
If you find out how to make it multi-browser compatible, please mail the new codes to me asap. It would be great if you tidied up the codes too, as I'm not very good with all these HTML stuff, thanks!

Labels: admin

July 21st, 8th issue

This week, we have interviewed...


SHOTGUN

Before she started getting SOTDs, quite a large number of people have heard of SHOTGUN's name already. So what kind of person is Flinda (a.k.a. SHOTGUN) like exactly? You'll find out through this interview. As for me, I think that Flinda is a great person, principled and kind :D Enjoy!

1. How about some background info on yourself?

I'm Flinda, studying in Coral Sec.. I bet you've never heard of that school before but anyways.. I'm a female and I'm very random, I can't say a complete sentence without laughing.

2. How did the name SHOTGUN come about?

I wasn't sure what to name myself though I knew I wanted a simple one word username. And at that time, I was rather obsessed with Dougie Poynter of McFLY and came across this picture of him in this "SHOTGUN" shirt, so I decided to steal the name and make it my username haha. I later then used the picture as my profile picture and I guess that's why people used to think that Shotgun was a "he". Lol.

3. Why/how did you begin blogskinning?

I joined BS because I was curious about what people think about my skins. As for how it all began.. it all started when my older sister used to have her own graphics site during the Neopets era (LOL!) and I would watch her create all those graphics. Somehow I got inspired because everything seemed so fun and new. And at that point of time, people started blogging so I too jumped onto the bandwagon, but instead of using skins from BS, I tried making my own layouts and they were seriously a big disaster. They were either pink or purple everywhere and were just girly and full of swirlies brushes hahah.



4. You are very well-known for your stylish blogskinning style... so much so that people started imitating your stylf and using your base codes. Any thoughts on that?

Uhh, I'm not well known lol. Anyways, thanks, that's very nice!

I know I don't own the HTMLs and CSS codes myself, but I spent a lot of time editing the codes to make the whole skin and codes match so that it would look more "complete". So I'd appreciate it if people would credit me for using my base codes.

As for style, I don't have a fixed style like heroine's line art, I think mine are mostly just collages plus brushes and it's very common nowadays, so I don't really see it as imitation.

5. I've heard that a while ago, you met with this problem in which blogskinners used the pictures you posted on deviantART to make blogskins without creditting you properly or not asking for permission beforehand. Actually I don't really know the details, would you mind elaborating?

They emailed me, saying something like "HELP me, ppl are accusing me!! Tell them I'm not a ripper" and then claiming to have saved my deviantART pictures and made it into a blogskin but didn't credit me because they "simply can't remember where I got the picture from" until people started calling them rippers and telling them that it's from Shotgun's deviantART account. Being the nice person that I am *coughs*, I helped them clear things up and said it was okay. But it was true, I wasn't that pissed although I knew they didn't ask me beforehand, but I was still okay with it as they still credited and emailed me after knowing where the picture is from. I mean, some just steal the stuff and then later act like they didn't.

6. Your rise to "fame" on blogskins.com was one of the fastest ever, what do you think about that?

Really ? Hmm, I think it has got something to do with my name and skins, hahah.



7. Any comments on the recently implemented changes to the Blogskins.com layout/ system (e.g. the friends/enemies system, format of profile page)

I think it's pretty weird, though I like the fact that you're able to see the preview of your friends's skins in your own page. I don't really like the SOTD system, it's making people wanting to be the SOTD all the time.

8. How has Blogskins.com changed you?

Like more blogskinners, BS has made me more open to criticisms and critique. It made me realized that since art, or rather, design, is a really subjective thing, there are bound to be people who hates your stuffs, but you don't have to let it affect you so much. It's just a matter of different people having different views and we'd have to learn to accept that.

9. Any Blogskinning tips?

1. Don't be discouraged, every expert was a beginner in the first place. I'm not saying that I'm an expert, but the quote makes sense. And practice a lot, make a lot of stuffs, if you don't like it don't delete it, it'd be nice to look back after a while to see your progress. And find out what suits you best, figure out what you really enjoy making instead of looking around and "copying" others' work.

2. Be careful with your font choice, colour combinations, css and the quality of the image. If one part of the skin doesn't live up to your expectations (like maybe the graphic), probably you could try to cover or make it up by further improvising on the codes then.

3. Best is if you know your strength ( Collages? Brushes? Drawings? Line art ? Hand drawn pictures ? Good with colours ? ) and use it to enhance your work so that people wouldn't focus so much on your weaknesses.

4. If you want to use pictures from deviantART to make blogskins, ask for permission first. Ask nicely and state that you'll credit them, most of the time you'll just get their permission.

When saving the DA picture, don't rename the file name! The "What_What_Hell_By_Artist_Here" is there for a reason, it's supposed to be reminding where you got it from.

And don't forget to give a direct link back to their deviantART account. Unless you wanna be charged with copyright infringement.

5. Don't curse people silently for giving you a 4.5 stars or below. Sure it's ego-damaging, but if you really want to improve, be open to critique. Some may like your skins, some may not, you can't please every single person out there. It's always interesting to know what different people thinks about your stuffs. If you even want to join BS, must at least try to accept what other people think about your skins la, cannot always have people saying "wah lao so nice sia" at every single comment what right, like that so fake.



10. [randomly generated question] Do you like the colour pink?

I don't like baby pink but I quite love hotpink lol.

Signing off,
Elaine

Labels: interview, SHOTGUN

The results are in... for the BLOGSKINS PRESS BLOGSKIN COMPETITION

In 1st place, we have...

CICAKGIRL'S SUBMISSION!

And in 2nd place, we have...
A TIE!

PAPERLOVE and WISHIX's SUBMISSIONS!

Congratulations to the above winners!
Cicakgirl has won herself an interview, while all three of them have won a permanent spot in the links section.

I will be posting up the previews of their skins soon, and I will be changing the template to cicakgirl's blogskin asap too.

Watch out for our next competition!

Till then,
Elaine.

July 15th, 7th Issue

This week, we have interviewed...


KYNZGERL

1.Tell us about yourself
My real name is Shakina & i'm known as kynz on the net.I love to eat a lot
but i'm very fussy about choosing foods.Buy for me cheesecake and i will
love you for a lifetime.My bestfriend is Winnie the POOH.

2.What made you start blogskinning?
My friend (i-can't-remember-who),introduced me to blogging world.That was
when i started to search for new layout from the net and i get to know about
blogskin.com.There was this user (she-quited-blogskinning) and i love her
skins a lot.Than after she left,i can't find any nice skins thus i started
to create one by using MS paint for my blog.Since than,i thought,"i think i
should submit skins in blogskins too".



3.How did the name KYNZGERL come about?
My name is SHAKINA and i started to twist my name to find myself a perfect
nick.Kynz was created in 2005."KYN" came from "KIN",part of my name.The "Z"
was added at the back of KYN to make it more stylish.I'm sure you people
know where "GERL"came about right?Girl=Gerl. :)

4.What would you like to say about the skins you have created?
My skins depands on my mood.If i'm in the happy mood,my skin will be
lively.If i'm sad,my skin will be like emoing.It all depands on my
mood.There's a story behind my ever skins and that's personal.



5.I believe there was an old account like shakinakid right? What have you
learnt from that account?
Actually nothing much.Learning and understanding codings was a very tough
job for me but i've this spirit in me,"never-give-up-spirit".I learnt more
when kynzgerl came about.

6.Do you think you have improved alot from that account?
Definately it's a yes.My 1st skin from shakinakid really looked horrible.The
image was blur and streched.The quality was poor.Now it's much better.Thanks
to Jasc paint shop pro 8.Honestly,i will die if anything happens to the
programme.I don't know why photoshop doesn't get along with my pc.



7.Are there any other hobbies than skinning?
Shopping?I will make holes at my parents pocket.I like to try new perfumes.I
don't mind if the brand is not original,as long as the smell is there than
no one will know.But now i'm using the "still" and it's original.Oh it's
Jennifer lopez perfumed.

8.How will you react if one day you become an FC?
I'm be glad but there's nothing to be proud about.I won't stop skinning.Fame
means nothing to me.I've notices that FC gets flamed from unwanted
people.I'm scared of such things.



9.You have lots of fans out there and they so darn love your skins. What
would you like to tell them?
Eh,wait how you know i got so many fans?Haa.Ok i will say,"Don't stop using
my skin and if you do,you can see me standing outside your house with a
knife".I'm just kidding.

10.Do you plan to use your skins for commercial uses in the future?
I don't know.When it happen,than i will get the answer.



11.Has blogskins.com changed you?
Yea,it has taught me to accept criticism.

12.Have you gone to BS outing? If you did, how much did you enjoy it?
I would love to go but i'm scared.I'm not the shy type and i love to talk a
lot.But the problem is that i'm not a free girl.I'm always busy watching tv.



13.Let's say you are advertising about blogskins by just telling people by
internet or face-to-face. What would you say?
I would say that blogskins is the best website you can find.Not only you can
find great skins but you can get great friends too.Who knows you will find
your future partner from blogskin.com cause lately,i finds more male user in
blogskin.com

14.Any plans for the future?
Yea,i'll the well known future-famous-Architect.And when i've retired,i will
open a cheesecake shop.So do support me by buying my cheesecake.



15.Any shout-outs?
The first step is the hardest.The final step is the easiest.

That's all for this week!

Signing off,
Noor Sharifah

Labels: interview, kynzgerl

July 10th, 6th issue

interview with...


AMBIVALENTE

I'm sure most of you (if not all) know this name. She has been around blogskins.com for a fairly long time (about 9 months, I suppose), and has consistently submitted high quality skins, while remaining original and true to her principles. On top of that, she's a really nice person!! Although her answers are short, they're concise. So enjoy reading this interview!!

1. How about a short intro on yourself first?
my name is jasmine
i am fifteen this year
i like art friend @ bras basah
i wanna do visual communication @ tp

2. Why/ How did you start blogskinning?
kelly/wind.waltz, who's my schoolmate introduced me to it when i was in sec 1, i spent more than 10 hours on my very first blogskin haha :]



3. How did your current blogskins name 'ambivalente' come about? Is there any special meaning to the name?
ambivalent - mixed feelings
it was a random word i found on an online dictionary, and i wanted it to be special so i added an "e"

4. Right from the very beginning, you had a very unique style which some people started to adopt. Do you have any comments concerning this?
imitation is the best form of flattery! :]



5. You love photography, huh? You take some pretty awesome photos too. Are you an aspiring photographer?
sorta! amateurish but i do love it lots.

6. Is there any kind of photography you especially love? E.g. landscape photos, holga, vintage photos etc.
landscape/street/nature :]



7. You seem to prefer simple skins, and rarely do your skins use a lot of brushes. What is your opinion of brushes used in blogskins nowadays, and the term "brush-spamming"?
i still feel that brushes are just meant to compliment your skin, but of course there are some really nice "brush-spammed" skins out there, on the whole though, most arent really nice.

8. You recently took a long hiatus (about three months, right?) before coming back. Any particular reason for that?
was busy with my domain but i still logged on to blogskins almost everyday :]



9. You are quite a well-known blogskinner now. Do you think that has affected you in any way?
nah, why should it?

10. I don't really see you participating much in the forums. Any specific reason for that?
im pretty shy, yes, even behind a screen :]



11. Will you ever go for a blogskinners outing?
maybe, i dont know, someday perhaps.

12. Do you like the recently implemented changes? E.g. the new profile layout, the friends/enemies thing etc
yeah i love it :] the friends and enemies thingy, cause the issue about being red flagged for no reason is gone.



13. How has Blogskins.com changed you?
it has helped me improve my photoshopping and coding.
i really appreciate the comments that people gave, they helped me a lot.

14. Any Blogskinning tips?
dont take stuff from deviantart without asking permission!



That's all for this issue. I will REALLY TRY to update more often. REALLY.
Elaine

Labels: ambivalente, interview