Programming :: Improving Web Design Skills

im interested in improving my web designing. ive been trying to learn ajax and flash completed a couple tutorials and i was thinking about starting a project. the goal of the project is to make a banner on top of a webpage that basicly is a slide show of thumbnails. but at the same time when u click on the image that flashes by it send you to the page where u can buy a print of the image. when you hover over the banner it stops. and is all contained in its own box. i did try to use a banner slide show box b4 but it didnt do everything i wannted and at the same time it expanding the length of the webpage as it scrolled the top.i was wondering how i might get the tools and knowlege i need to acomplish my goal.