WordPress Newbie

Hi,

Not sure if you can help.

I have been designing websites using Dreamweaver for quite a few years now however I can only do static websites as I can’t do any form of coding apart from HTML & CSS via Dreamweaver, with a bit of flash and ready made javascript thrown in.

I am increasingly being asked by potential clients for login facilities, blogs and CMS (blogging being at the very bottom of the list) – enter WordPress. I seem to have digested the basics of creating adding content to pages using pre-built themes however as I offer a bespoke design service I need to be able to create the themes (or designs) myself.

My problem is that I cannot understand the files so have no idea how to go about changing them. I purchased a book and have tried searching for tutorials but they are all for blogs and they still don’t really tell me how to go about understanding and changing the html and css for the themes.

I also need to know how to remove the blog jargon from the bottom of some of the templates as I obviously don’t require this on a website apart from on the blog page if there is one.

I hope you can help me or at least point me in the right direction.

Thanks

Regards Margaret