Create Your Own Desktop Wallpaper Background in Illustrator

1. Create a gradient background box
Create a rectangular box to fit the size of your canvas and fill it with blue gradient.



2. Create multiple screen gradient paths
Create another path to go in the corner with a nice curve on one side, you can match the colours or change them slightly and make them slightly more transparent than your background rectangle. You can repeat this step to create as many paths as you please.


3. Create wavy abstract lines
Now the fun part, draw two wavy/curvy lines with the pencil tool (N). Make then both white.


4. Blend the stroke lines
Go to Object > Blend > Blend Options, enter Specified Steps = 20. Then select your two stroke white lines you made with the pencil and go to Object > Blend > Make or press Ctrl+Alt+B. This will blend 2 white strokes and add random lines giving the two much greater depth and visual amusement.
You can also blend two lines that are different colours to achieve a gradient blend for added depth. Go crazy and blend two very different lines to see what effects you get.
You can repeat these steps to create as many blended lines as you desire and when finished you will have your very professional desktop background.

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Paypal troubleshooting: Add to cart button



© Photographer: Ptoone | Agency: Dreamstime.com





Paypal offers web masters a fast, secure and free service to add a full e-commerce shopping cart to your site. Sometimes when you implement a paypal add to cart button on your online store the link takes you directly to the home page of paypal and not to your online shopping cart where it should be.

For a solution you do not need to change the button, just slightly change the source code. This is a common problem with Dreamweaver CS3 and involves taking away the number next to the "cmd values" and the "hosted_botton_id." Once you have located the words "cmd" and "hosted_button_id" in your code editor, look to see if there is a numeric number directly after each word. It could be a 2, 3 or 5. If you see a number next to both words - simply delete and refresh/save the html.

By doing this you will not be editing the paypal code which is not recommended by paypal, you are simply deleted two numeric characters that shouldn't be there. For some reason Dreamweaver seems to add the digits when the html code is pasted in to the site.

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How to fix a broken rocking chair

Before you part ways with your broken but beloved rocking chair, read this and learn how easy it can be to repair the chair yourself and enjoy many more years of rocking.

Glue and clamp

To repair a broken rocker, lay the rocking chair face down and gently clean the break by scraping the old away. Spread an thin layer of carpenters glue inside the break, then press the sections together by hand and wipe away any excess with a clean damp cloth. To make a splint, place waxed paper and a thin, flat piece of wood along each side of the break. Secure the break with adequate pressure with a pair of C clamps for 4 hours. When the time is right, remove the clamps and splint and you can now reinforce to the break.

Drilling a dowel hole

To determine the depth of the dowel hole, measure along the side of the rocker; the dowel will be inserted two thirds of the way into the rocker. Mark the hole position an awl. Fit a power drill with a bit the same size as the dowel and wrap masking tape around the bit to indicate depth of the hole. Brace the chair against a wall and drill a hole at the mark, stopping when the tape touches the rocker.

Inserting the dowel

Cut a dowel one inch longer than the depth of the hole and bevel one end slightly with coarse sandpaper. Draw the dowel through the jaws of pliers to score its side; this will allow excess glue and air to escape as the dowel is forced into the hole. Spread a thin layer of white or yellow glue on the dowel and in the hole. Set the beveled end of the dowel in the hole and tap it in with a rubber mallet. Wipe away excess glue with a clean, damp cloth. Let the glue set for 24 hours. With a coping saw, cut the dowel flush with surface of the rocker. Use medium then fine grit sandpaper to sand the dowel smooth.

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