Design Participants

Here are the guidelines for the Holly Jolly Express blog train:

If you'd like to take part in the blog train, you'll need to take the following steps.

a. Send an email to JuliaMoniz@msn.com indicating that you'd like to take part. Be sure to include your blog's URL and what name you'd like to appear on the blog roll and on the frontpage of this site.

b. Join the YahooGroup at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HollyJollyExpress/ where you can keep updated with everyone involved in the project.

Time Frame & Blog Roll

The blog train goes “live” on December 15, 2008.

It is the responsibility of each participant to check their entry on the blog roll on the front of the website (http://hollyjolly.americanapics.com). Any changes/additions to the blog roll should be sent to JuliaMoniz@msn.com no later than December 12, 2008.

The deadline to sign up is November 30, 2008 in order to give time for the webpage to be updated in time and to allow all participants to have a final copy of the blogroll previous to the blog train going “live”.

On December 13, all participants will be sent a copy of the blogroll to put on their blog when they go live with their part of the kit on December 15.

Previews of kits should be sent to JuliaMoniz@msn.com by December 12, 2008. Kit previews will appear with blog urls on the front page of the site beginning December 15, 2008.

All kits should remain active for free download until the end of the month. If possible, they should remain active for free download until January 15, 2009 affording people a month to download them. After January 15, 2009, it is up to each individual designer to decide if they want to continue to allow free downloads, stop all downloads, or move the kit to a store for sale.

Color Palette

Download Adobe Swatch Exchange File

Theme

The only “theme” for the kit is “Christmas”. How each designer interprets Christmas is up to them. However, all contributions should be within the boundaries of good taste (G-rated) and should not violate any copyrights.

File Naming

The following naming convention should be used to name items included in the kit:

Designer name_hollyjolly_itemname.ext

EG: beaconscrap_hollyjolly_paper01.jpg

Zipping Files

It’s up to each designer to choose whether they want to zip just the items or if they want to zip the items contained with a folder. If the folder option is chosen, the the naming convention for the folder should follow with the file names:

Designer name_hollyjolly_foldername

EG: beaconscrap_hollyjolly_papers

Zip files should be of a manageable size – approximately 40 – 50 mb each.

Kit Size

Ideally, the kits designed should be full-sized kits (12” x 12” – 300 ppi). However, tagger-sized kits are also acceptable. If you are doing a kit that is smaller than full-sized, that should be indicated somewhere on your preview file.

Amount of items per kit

The amount of papers, elements, etc per kit is up to each designer. There is no minimum and no maximum.

Quick Page and Bragbook Pages

If you are willing to post your links early in order for others to make quickpages or bragbook pages with them, please post a message in the YahooGroup.

If you’d rather just make quick pages or bragbook pages as opposed to designing a kit, please post a message in the YahooGroup indicating such.

Blinkies & Advertising Banners

Amy of Designs By Amilyn has made this blinkie to use to advertise the blog train:

Here's the code Michelle did for the blinkie:

In addition to putting the blinkie code together, Michelle has also done this great banner that can be used to advertise the blogtrain as well (code for appears below)