Hi everyone. Having only registered with this site yesterday, this is my first post, so I hope that someone can give me a bit of advice, or at least point me toward where I should look.
I already know just a little about css and html4, and am trying to learn about xhtml as well. I know about enough to maintain my existing website, add audio files, images, make minor alterations etc. Incidentally, the site I already have is built using a pretty basic 'drag and drop' system provided by the sites host. This is generally O.K, but sometimes won't allow me enough flexibility.
What I would really like to do is build a brand new website from scratch, using xhtml and css, but putting all the little bits of knowledge that I have together, in order to build a complete site is quite a challenge.
I would like to create pages for my new site that look something similar to this page: http://www.therapynet.co.uk/hypnotherapy.php but am not sure how to begin, as far as the basic design is concerned.
In order to design a layout similar to the page mentioned, should I use a program such as paintshop pro to create the basic design?
Presumably the page I have given as an example is built in layers using the z index method? Is this right?
This is only just a guess, but would I begin by creating a tiled background, then creating the central section as a second layer, and so on?
How would I achieve the pleasant rounded corners and feathered edges/shadows etc? Would all of this be done in PSP as one large graphic, or as small portions which are fitted together later?
I expect that you'll probably tell me to do everything in Dreamweaver and Fireworks, which are undoubtedly fine pieces of software, but which are taking me forever to learn.

My other question is this. When looking in books about css, I find lists of stylesheet properties, but these lists don't appear to be comprehensive (even when the list is supposed to be).
I have noticed css properties popping up in actual website source code that do not appear to be shown in any list I've seen so far - examples would be WRAPPER & MASTHEAD. Does the writer of a sites css sometimes define their own properties, and if so, how would a browser recognise what they are supposed to mean?

I'm sure that there are a zillion other questions I'd like to ask, but for now, I think that's probably enough.

Hope you're able to interpret my ramblings and make some sense of what I'm 'trying' to say!

Any feedback gratefully received.