Would anyone comment on workflow when starting from scratch. Of course you have design first... I guess then you would edit the necessary tpl files in this manner:
using "example.tpl" as our example:
1. make a backup of example.tpl and call it something like example.tpl.bak
2. create a new file called example.tpl and start coding in your design bits using xhtml (referencing your custom css file).
3. Then drop in the necessary xcart "guts".
I'm sure this is an oversimplification. Can anyone shed some light into a typical workflow for creating skins from scratch? I just setup a development xcart site on my mac using MAMP and would like to do this as sort of a side project/hobby - skill building excercise

I guess when approaching it in this way you have to remember that Rome wasn't built in a day...
Cheers,