Smiley Helper | Free resources, inspiration, and tutorials for web design and graphic design

I am leaving for my trip tomorrow and will be back on Sunday, though probably not updating until Monday. I guess it depends on when during the day I’m back. Right now I’m finishing up my Iliad assignment (hooray! one more quote!) and then will go to sleep. I’m really excited but unfortunately I didn’t have time to write articles or make resources so I just did some quick “daily inspiration” posts so there’s a post scheduled for each day with an inspirational link… basically like what our Twitter does.

I’ll have limited internet access when I’m gone and of course I won’t have photoshop (internet on an ipod.. yay ) so don’t panic. Though six days is not much if you consider that I went like 4 months without updating this year. Heh.

Category Updates | Tags: | No Comments

New article and graphics

August 15, 2010 by Katie

I just finished writing a new article about best resources for starting a website. It’s similar to the program downloads page but all the resources are completely free, with none that are only free trials. It’s basically everything you need for starting a website.

And Marina and Rikki made new graphics, with a new background and 2 new scribbles.

I fixed the search engine, so now it opens in our site unlike the last one and actually displays the most relevant results first, unlike the default wordpress search.

Eek I only have two days left until I’m going on vacation. I’m going to *try* and write some posts ahead of time, but I also want to finish my last summer assignment, and that’s going to take a while, especially with only two days. I have 10 more reflections to write, a movie to watch, and 72 pages left to read.

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Best Resources for Starting a Website for Free

by Katie

Think it costs tons of money to make a website? Think again! Here are the best free resources for starting a website for free, whether you aren’t sure about the whole web design thing yet and aren’t quite ready to invest hundreds of dollars, or are just working on a very tight budget. These aren’t just free trials, they are completely free programs that you can use forever.

Click here for website resources

Category Articles | Tags: | 4 Comments

Photorealistic tutorials list

August 11, 2010 by Katie

I made a new photorealistic tutorials list. And hopefully I will look into the small headers thing on Safari and Chrome before the end of today, but right now I have to go.

Also, next week I will be on vacation from Tuesday through Sunday, though I am going to try and write a couple posts ahead of time and schedule them to be published throughout next week (a nifty wordpress feature! – scheduling the publish date! ) so we’re not just dead.

EDIT: The page titles are now fixed thanks to the power of CSS3.

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19 Photorealistic Photoshop Tutorials

by Katie

Don’t have the perfect photo? No problem. These tutorials will teach you how to illustrate and design various real-world objects with just Photoshop and create a photorealistic result. Although these are mostly for Photoshop, a few are for Illustrator but they could all be adapted to different programs if you find similar tools.

Click here for photorealistic Photoshop tutorials

Category Inspiration | Tags: | 6 Comments

Contest Winner and Newsletter

August 8, 2010 by Katie

The winner of the second contest and comment #10 is… Fiona! Congrats! Here website is Free Dream Graphics.

If you didn’t enter contest #1 last time, I still have more happy neggs. So, just comment your neopets username. And Gina, your inventory is full.

There is also a new newsletter, which you can sign up for in the sidebar. It’s just a quick weekly email with the latest updates (and sometimes info about upcoming, not-yet-released content) as well as design tips, inspiration, and sometimes exclusive resources or tutorials. (:

Category Updates | Tags: | 4 Comments

44 Colorful Glossy Web 2.0 Icons

August 6, 2010 by Katie

The following 44 colorful glossy web 2.0 icons are free to use for any personal or commercial projects. No credit required.

You can edit and use them however you want. The sizes are 250px by 250px and 125px by 125px and there are plain and paint splattered styles.

The only restriction is that you are not allowed to redistribute the icons (though you can make a graphic for someone that uses an icon in it).

44 Colorful Glossy Web 2.0 Icons
Download them here!

Category Resources | Tags: | 3 Comments

New tutorial & web 2.0 icons & contests

by Katie

I made a new photoshop tutorial for a paint splatter glossy web 2.0 icon. I also have a set of web 2.0 icons that I just finished here.

And we’re having a couple contests for the comments.

Contest #1

The first is for Neopets. I don’t play anymore but I recently bought some happy neggs for someone for their contest but was never able to give them to that person, so if you want one just post your username. And if you’re the person who never got the gifts I said I’d send you, please please comment and I’ll give you a bunch. I think I have like 10.

And otherwise, I’m planning on making some more inspiration lists, so if you have a website that you’d like advertised, here’s a contest for you:

Contest #2

Just list links to 3 inspirational/amazing-looking sites in your comment that either have a mostly dark layout or a mostly light layout.
The 10th commenter will win 3 tweets in our Twitter, plugs in 3 blog posts, and 3 days of being linked in the sidebar.
Andddd you can comment as many times as you want, as long as each comment has 3 new, relevant links.

Good luck and have fun!

Category Updates | Tags: | 12 Comments

Make a Paint Splatter Glossy Web 2.0 Icon

by Katie

Web 2.0 icons and buttons are very popular, so we decided to change things up by adding some paint splatter brushes and diagonal lines over the top to give the normally perfect, glossy buttons a grungy look.

Click here for the Photoshop web 2.0 button tutorial

Category Adobe Photoshop | Tags: | 2 Comments

New Article and Website Signs

August 4, 2010 by Katie

Marina made 4 new website signs. They’re different phrases (exit, for you, about me, and welcome) so I decided to combine the graphics on the about me page and welcome signs page to make website signs.

I also wrote a blogging/website article about 15 websites to submit your tutorials to for increased traffic.

Category Updates | Tags: | 5 Comments

15 Websites to Submit Your Tutorials to for Increased Traffic

by Katie

I recently compiled a list of sites that I usually submit new tutorials to in order to increase traffic and buzz. After writing a high-quality post, just submit some details about it to one of these websites and if you’re accepted and they list you in their “directory” of sorts, you’ll notice an increase in visitors…

Click here to learn how to get more traffic to your tutorials

Category Articles | Tags: | 3 Comments

New Graphics

August 3, 2010 by Katie

Today there are 3 new scribbles, 1 new about me banner, 1 new blinkie, and 1 new icon, all made by Rikki.

And our newest tutorial with the 3d abstract text effect was accepted by Good Tutorials. I’m so happy (:

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New Icons and Emoticons

August 2, 2010 by Katie

One of our new staff members, Marina, has just started updating.
Today there are 4 new icons made by Rikki and Marina.

There is also a new set of house smileys, also made by Marina. I updated the web icons page a lot and changed the name to emoticons because it makes more sense.

I’m working on updating some of the old pages and improving their quality, like the now freshened up emoticon page. (: More updates later.

EDIT: I added a bunch of old graphics as well that were lying around in the image folder. Some of them were not transferred when we switched to wordpress, some were backgrounds of site layouts, some had their page deleted, etc. So there are 8 new cute pixels, 21 new blinkies, 10 backgrounds, 1 link back button, and 12 new site pixels. There are also now staff pages.

Category Updates | Tags: | 1 Comment

New Graphics and Tutorial

August 1, 2010 by Katie

Soo… our new staff member Rikki made an icon and a cute ice cream scribble today.

And I finished the new 3D Colorful Abstract Text Effect tutorial that I started yesterday.

Category Updates | Tags: | 2 Comments

Make a 3D Colorful Abstract Text Effect

July 31, 2010 by Katie

Click here for the 3D Colorful Abstract Text Effect Tutorial

I discovered that you can actually make 3D text in Word beyond the previously-simple WordArt and don’t need really expensive 3d art programs to get a nice look. The design was inspired by the popular quote “Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” and Priscilla Ahn’s song “Dream.” I was happy with how it turned out and decided to recreate the text effect as a photoshop tutorial.

Category Adobe Photoshop | Tags: Project Tutorials | 65 Comments

Ugh Work

by Katie

I have to read more of the Iliad tonight and then exercise, but maybe I will find time to start the tutorial I want to make. I made a really cool piece today but now the challenge is to recreate it as a tutorial. I’ll give you a hint… it’s 3D without a fancy 3D program. I changed a few things on the site today and updated the Twitter several times, but not much. Just waiting around for something to happen I s’pose.

I just watched the movie Remember Me. I was a little disappointed in the ending, but I understand that the movie is trying to make a statement about life, so I think it was cute. Speaking of cute, my turtles are also being cute right now. They’re holding hands (paws?) and staring at me as I type this.

And… exciting news! We got 3 resource designers! I know I only said there were two spots, but I liked the applicants so I accepted three anyway. (: I’ll wait for them to make their first work before I say much more. That means the resource designer position is closed for now, but we still need inspiration creators and tutorial writers.

Category Updates | Tags: | 3 Comments