Hi Pat,

In your skin.css

/* Login and User Tokens Normal CSS Styles. */
.LOGIN, a.LOGIN:link, a.LOGIN:visited, a.LOGIN:active, .USER, a.USER:link, a.USER:visited, a.USER:active {
 color: #ff0000;
 font-family: tahoma;
 font-size: 11px;
 font-weight:normal;
 text-decoration: none;
}

/* Login and User Tokens Hover CSS Styles. */
a.LOGIN:hover, a.USER:hover {
 color: #dcd177;
 font-family: tahoma;
 font-weight:normal;
 font-size: 11px;
 text-decoration: none;
}

/* Terms Privacy and Copyright CSS Styles. */
.FOOTER {
 color:#FFFFFF;
 font-size: 11px;
 font-weight:normal;
}

/* Terms Privacy and Copyright Links CSS Styles. */
a.FOOTER:link, a.FOOTER:visited, a.FOOTER:active {
 color:#FFFFFF;
 font-weight:normal;
 text-decoration:none;
}

/* Terms Privacy and Copyright Hover CSS Styles. */
a.FOOTER:hover {
 color:#dcd177;
 font-weight:normal;
 text-decoration:none;
}

In your .ascx file add.

If I recall the xml defines skinItem css as the styling for those controls. When you said you changed / created a custom one did you change the xml for each tokens css value?

Also one thing I find works well in this situation is download firefox browser and install an add-on called firebug.

It will make your life with DNN skinning much easier. you can launch firebug when viewing your site and click the inspect button select the item you want to look at. Such as the login link and it will tell you every single CSS style being applied the heirarchy they are being applied, what is being overwritten by what and so much more. Its a really awesome tool, cause DNN does so many funky things.

While you on the add-on page, grab Web Developer toolbar as well. Allows you to edit all the CSS files applied to a page real time. (minus images) it won't render images, but for all other formating its a great way to virtually play around with your CSS real time and then you can just copy and paste your virtual changes to your actual files.