For the longest time, I’ve been struggling with the Wordpress Custom Header API. I wanted to use it in my next theme, but was getting some wierd behavior, and it was screwing up a snippet that I use in the header that renders the right heading tag for the right page, and the headerimg is an <h1> tag on the front page only.  The post titles on the front page are <h2>. I use <h1> tags for top level pages, single post pages, and <h2> tags for archives, category pages and the like.   I use the above code to make sure the semantics were right.

I wish they’d made it a bit more flexible. it would be nice to upload both a background to the header div AND replace the headerimg div lext wtih a logo. And leave the description part alone, electing to hide it separately.

I am sure that all this can and will be soon accomplished by a WordPress geek soon! Just don’t expect it to be me!

So, I elected to trash the idea of custom image header in the next theme. What I am going to start doing though, is opening both support forums and making videos of how to do these manually,

Here’s my code I couldn’t bear to part with: goes in header.php, replacing everything in the <headerimg> its ending </div> tag.

<?php if (is_front_page()) { ?>
<h1><a href=”<?php echo get_option(’home’); ?>/” title=”<?php bloginfo(’name’); ?>”><?php bloginfo(’name’); ?></a></h1>

<?php } else { ?>
<a href=”<?php echo get_option(’home’); ?>/” title=”<?php bloginfo(’name’); ?>”><?php bloginfo(’name’); ?></a>

<?php } ?>

So, production on the promised theme shall begin again soon!

Good morning, world!

Now I’m going to spend the next 2 weeks beta-testing the next scrumptious theme! I think I have finally mastered the custom header image API (go on and laugh at me, it seems to be such an easy task for everyone but me! )

The new design will be neutral and brown shades, liquid with a wide sidebar. It will be Scrumptious! If any member wants to beta test please let me know! I’m starting the support threads in the forums today.

Does anyone know of a Wordpress themers community, that is not WordPress.org? I used to try and answer about 5 questions a day but it gets tiresome because they just don’t reply so you don’t know if your suggestion helped or not, or there are page after page of unanswered questions…

I understand the perception from both points of view – both the halper and the helpee, but first doing a search to see if your question has been answered might save you some time, and if someone does help you, a thank you doesn’t hurt!

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I made an idiotic mistake – leaving the wrong bit of code out of most of the templates, and hardcoding the image in them, making it impossible to hide it as many people do. Hey, some of us just aren’t flower people, I get it!

Anyway, you can download Blossom 2.3 at WordPress.org. in a couple of days or download here at Rose City Gardens

Sorry for the boo-boo! It looked just awful I’m sure and I hope you’ll keep using Blossom for your WordPress blog!)

Note – I’ll be creating a support forum specifically for theme bugs and problems, with each new theme having it’s own topic. It’s a lot easier to keep up with requests on a forum for me, and the answers to questions will be there for future users to find.

All the best – again, please forgive this old web wench!

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I’ve made great progress with the new Blossom Theme for WordPress.

The tabbed sidebar module is actually three sidebars. You can leave them as they are, or you can change the tab text in the theme options panel and pop in your own choice of widgets. The block of six 125 X 125 blog ads is also configurable through the theme options panel – you can paste your ad code into the corresponding text box, or choose to hide the block of ads entirely. At the top right of the page you can change the introductory text or hide it.

For those who like “simple,” you can also show or hide the flower graphic at the top of the content column.

I highly recommend the tutorial and source file examples that Dan at Theme Forest puts together in a post called Create an Options Page For Your WordPress Theme. Thanks, Dan! I couldn’t have done it without you!

Just a few more bits to put together and Blossom will be submitted to the theme directory for approval. Stay tuned!

Click the screenshot for a preview of Blossom, the next free WordPress theme from Rose City Gardens. It’s not quite finished; I still have bits and pieces to style and options to add.

Blossom will be ready for release by the end of the week. Stay tuned!