Make an Etsy Banner using PicMonkey.com!!

I like to make my own banners for my etsy shops..... and thought I'd post a tutorial on how to do so--- it's VERY easy!!!

So, you can start out with a picture of a listing from your shop, and end up with something like this:

OR, you can start with a blank palette, and end up with something like this:

I'll show you how to begin--- You'll need mousepaint, and access the picmonkey website.  (100% free)

1. Open a photo in mousepaint.  (for the blank option, you won't need to-- just open paint.)
Your photo will be too large.  You'll have to shrink it using the "stretch-skew" option under "image".  I like to start at about 24% of my original listing size.  Your goal is to get it to 100 pixels in height.  You can always click "undo" under edit to start over if your guess isn't right.  

Step 1: Using Stretch/Skew to get the photo down to size for a banner (100)

If your stretch/skew doesn't get it there, you can shorten it using the mouse and clicking on the box around the image and dragging it to the correct height of 100 pixels:

Step 1: Stretching using mouse drag.

2.  Next, you want to use the mouse again--- drag the width to 750 pixels.  Be aware that you are also correcting height when you do this.  Get as close as you can to 750 pixels--- that is the recommended etsy size!  Your banner should look like this:

Step 2: Stretching to the correct width of 750 pixels using mouse drag.

3.  Save this image--- this is the photo you'll upload to picmonkey.com.


4.  Open Pickmonkey and upload your new blank banner.....You'll choose "Edit a Photo" from the left side of the screen, choose your saved photo of a blank banner, and it will open for editing:

Step 4: Opening saved photo under the "edit" option in picmonkey.

5.  Add text to your banner!  Choose the "P" on the left hand side, and enter the text you'd like.  You can try out different fonts too!  Click "ADD" once you've typed it in.  It won't fit at first--- you'll have to drag the mouse to make the text fit, and choose the color you'd like the text to be.

Step 5: Adding text to the banner in picmonkey.

6.  Once you've added one text box, you can add another, if you like! 

Step 6:  Adding more text.  You can center and move the text around by grabbing the whole box with the mouse!

7.  Optional::: Want a colored background for the banner instead of white?  Choose the "overlay" option (they look like little stickers).  Add a rectangle, and choose the color you'd like the background to be:

Step 7: Add a colored rectangle overlay.

Now--- using the mouse, stretch that box to cover all your text, and right-click on it.  Click "send to back". 

Step 7: Adding the colored rectangle to the background.

You should end up with something like this.  You can always change the color, position, or just click undo to remove that sucker!

Step 7: Your colored box in the background.

8.  Now, you can save here, or explore the site to add stickers, effects, and other fun stuff.  Explore those options, and have fun with it!!!!!!  Don't forget to save as a jpg file!

Here are a few banners I've made this week.....You can make them for special occasions, sales, anything!

Have questions?  Post them here!  I hope I've been helpful in spiffing up your etsy shop!

♥Rose

Finding Balance...

So, you all know that being home full time for etsy is new to me.  The only problem I've found, so far *crosses fingers*, is finding time to work on projects for etsy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Who knew. 

Now that I'm home full time, I seem to find more and more cleaning that I have time to do, more home improvement projects I've been putting off, and more time to rollerblade. <------oh yes.  People still do that.  (okay.  I still do that.)  Also, I may have started watching seasons 1-6 of How I Met Your Mother.  That counts as serious work, right?

So, over the past week, I have: gutted, decluttered and reorganized both my bedroom --2005 wanted her clothes back, my laundry room (HELLO JUNK.  Six trash bags full of junk.), and my kitchen.  All of my craft supplies are organized, I bought a new vacuum......

Do you see how this has been going?  So, last night I decided that I would SIT and sew.  I would not find a reason to get up, unless it was from the cutting desk to the sewing machine.

And?  The result?

I got my sewing mojo back!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are two "skirprons" I upcycled last night:

Mini Tutorial:::::::::
1.  Find a cotton skirt that you don't wear, for whatever reason.
2.  Using a seam ripper, remove the back seam and zipper (if there is one.)
3.  Double fold in the back ripped seams: iron, pin and sew.
4.  Cut a package of bias tape in 1/2, and sew both sets of raw edges under, and down the length of the tape.
5.  Add each "strap" made of bias tape to the back side of the apron!

VOILA!!!!!  The "skirpron".   *enter voiceover*  "Also available on SewEcological.etsy.com"  */voiceover*

Soooooooo... Now that I've got my mojo back, I plan on making a few more aprons, and a TON of unfinished armwarmers I've got laying around.  If I can avoid cleaning out the kitchen cabinets, repainting the kitchen and my bedroom, and totally reorganizing my amazing DVD collection.

May the force be with me.

♥Rose

I've Returned!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I've been to Italy, Greece, and Turkey!!!  I've seen amazing, beautiful things.  This is my first full day home, so I'll just give you a teaser of my time away: