So how cool are those slideshows of the challenge blocks on the daily blog page! Well, Libbi emailed me to ask if I knew how we could do those too. I think I found a way! (And I can't wait to see what she's going to post -- I just love her photos!)

I had this slideshow up and running and ready to post in just minutes and if you want to do it too, I'll give you the instructions....

If you have Photoshop, you may already have the ability to do this. Santa has not yet brought me Photoshop so I can't walk you through it, but what you'll want to look for is something about a "gif animator" or something like that. If you don't have Photoshop, don't worry -- I found some free software online you can use. The first thing you have to do is download the animation program. It's totally free and it comes from a reliable site that I have used many times. (They scan their programs beforehand to make sure there are no viruses or spyware and allow users to rate the software. This one got some pretty good feedback.) The program is called Animator Nine and it can be downloaded by clicking here.

After you have downloaded and installed the program, look for it in the folder where you saved it. It doesn't create a desktop shortcut for some reason. You can do that yourself if it makes it easier for you. And how neat that the program icon looks like a nine patch!

Click on the icon and the program will start. It is a small window.

The first step is to click on "Stitch".

Next, just follow the on-screen instructions to add your photos. Just locate the photos in your folders, decide which ones you want to use, and click on "Add" to place your selected photos into the slideshow. You can also adjust the size of the photos on this screen as well as the quality. (I left the quality alone -- higher photo qualities may take longer to load.) When you adjust the size you will get an actual size preview.

When you are satisfied with the photos, click on "Done". A window will pop up asking you to save your animation file as a jpeg file. I don't know why -- I just go with the flow! Just name it something you will remember and click "Save".

You will be brought back to the main screen of the program where you can adjust your slideshow settings. If you cannot see the control panel at the bottom, click on the "Control" button to bring it into view. Uncheck the "Rewind" box so your slideshow will only run "one way." Keep "Loop" checked so it will run continually. Then adjust the "Frame Delay" to control how quickly the slideshow displays your photos. The higher the number -- the slower the show. (Actually, I shoul've slowed down my sample one. Oh well! Next time!) Press "Play" at any time to preview and just press "Stop" when you're done.

When your slideshow is just how you want it, click on the "Make" button to create your animation. A window will pop up with the original name you decided on before and the word "animate" after it. This happens automatically and will go into the same folder you saved the original jpeg image in. You'll notice that the file type is now listed as "GIF" -- which is exactly what you want! Hooray! Click on "Save" and you're done!

All that's left to do is insert this image into your blog! Since the blogs accept gif files, use the same process as you would to upload a single photo.

I'm sure there's a bunch more you can do with this program but I just downloaded it yesterday and haven't played too much so feel free to experiment! Have fun! And thanks Libbi for the idea! (Have I mentioned that I love her photos?)