How to Create an Etsy Banner Using GIMP...

Creating an Etsy Banner using GIMP

How do you like my new banner? :-) I used GIMP!! Took forever, but I love it!

♥ I just wanted to say a quick thanks to Luchi Creations for making this tutorial!


This is the GIMP version of daniellexo's instructions for creating an Etsy banner in PhotoShop. I am not a graphic artist, I don't work for Etsy, and I'm new to GIMP. Without daniellexo's instructions for PhotoShop Etsy Banners, I wouldn't have been able to figure out GIMP as easily. Thanks Daniellexo!! You can find her PhotoShop instructions here.

Follow daniellexo's tip on finding a font and Step 1 to find a picture/graphic (not stolen).
Hint for fonts: http://www.dafont.com/

GIMP Step 2.
Crop your image by clicking the "select rectangular image" icon which is the top left icon on GIMP's tool panel.



Once you selected the icon go to your image and draw a wide rectangle, keep in mind this will be the area you are cropping to.

Step 2 a: On the menu bar, select Image, Crop Image



GIMP Step 3
Scale your image to the Etsy banner width 760.

On menu bar select Image, Scale Image.

In the pop up box enter 760 for the Image width.

Click the button "Scale".




GIMP Step 4
Creating the Etsy banner length of 100.

On menu bar, select Image, Canvas Size.

In the pop up box, click on the image of the chain link that connects width and height together.

Now the chain will look broken.

Change the height to 100.

You will see your image in the preview box of this screen, move your image around to make sure you are getting the part of the image you want on the canvas. When satisfied click the button "Resize".



GIMP Step 5
Add some text, like your shop name....

In GIMP tool panel, select the T icon, third row, far right. Now select the area on your image where you want to place text. A GIMP text edit will open, enter your text here. Do not close the editor yet.

Go back to the GIMP tool panel, choose your font style, font size, and color.



P.S. You can later move the text around my selecting the arrow icon in second row, second from right.

Final Step - Save and Upload
NOTE:
I didn't try out all the extras for growing images and such but GIMP does have the magic wand, see GIMP tool panel, icon first row forth from the left.

After you are done playing and editing you are ready to upload! Make sure you save your new banner to your PC!!! File, Save as.. Chose a name! Remember you you saved it!

Login to Etsy, goto Your Etsy, Appearance, under Banner select Browse. Find and select the image you just saved, select Open. Select orange button "Save changes".

Your done! Enjoy your banner!!!

For The Love of Nature- my new line

I'm so excited about my new line of bird's nest jewelry. This is my first bird's nest necklace, and I also have the earrings listed, with even a cute ring to match!! I have to say I made myself one and wear it constantly! I love it! I hope everyone else will too... I haven't had much time to blog lately, I've been working quite a bit, and I will be working even more this weekend (probably about 24 hours in 2 days) So I figured before I went into work I would show everyone my new design. This week I am going to set aside some time specially for blogging, I have some great ideas for adding tutorials to my shop that I want to share with everyone. Pretty exciting!

Gotta Show the Men Some Love!

I decided after having several of my Husband's friend's ask me why I didn't have any guy's jewelry on my site, to add some! So this is one of my first of hopefully many more men's designs. Of course I like the rings enough, I made myself a set :-) So I guess it could be considered unisex, what do you think? I love them! Stay tuned for more of the manly men series :-D

My Latest Treasury...

What a wonderful collection of talented artists! I absolutely LOVE these colors, I hope it gets the artisans some extra exposure! I know we need everything we can get on Etsy :-)

A day in the Life..

A Day in The Life of Amber........

That was this morning when the girls were coloring..... on themselves.... I take the markers away and up on the table they go. Well it's been about an hour (I hadn't given Ava a bath yet to get the marker off) and as I'm walking downstairs from putting laundry away, I see Ava looking at me while sitting on the couch, with another marker in her hand!! Where she found it I don'tknow, but now this is what I see.... LOL I had to take pictures of course!

How to Find People on Twitter....

One of the benefits to spending time on Twitter is that it's a great way to network. But if you are new to Twitter, it can seem difficult to find people that are in your industry or that share your interests. Here's some tips to help get you started meeting new friends on Twitter!

There doesn't seem to be any way to "find" anyone unless you already know them from somewhere else. How do you make new acquaintances with similar interests? What's the point in marketing via Twitter if you can't figure out how to get heard?"

This is a real concern, but thankfully there's several resources that can help you expand your network of friends on Twitter.

First, start on Twitter itself. At the top right of your Twitter homepage you will see a search box that lets you not only search for people, but also by location or any other term that might be in their Twitter profile. If you are looking for other Twitter members in Michigan, search for Michigan, and Twitter will give you a listing of all the members that have their location identified as being 'Michigan'. Or you can search for anyone with 'Etsy' in their profile, or 'social media', or any other term you can think of.


Another great way to find people that share your interests is with the Twitter Packs wiki. Here you can find Twitter users by subject matter, you can find companies that have a presence on Twitter, and even locate people by region. If you are interested in meeting other Twitter members that focus on 'jewelry'. for example, you can view the list, and even add yourself to this same list so that other members can find you!

My favorite search tool for Twitter is Tweetscan. With Tweetscan, you can search for topics, people, places, anything. You can also search and make sure that you have seen all the replies to you that other Twitter members have left. Just search for '@YourTwitterName'. Sometimes the web version of Twitter as well as Twhirl will miss some of your replies.

But perhaps the best way to meet new people on Twitter is to follow the people that your friends are following. Watch the conversations unfolding, and if you see that one of your friends is having an interesting conversation and replying to someone that you aren't following, then click on that person's name and check out their Twitter page. It could be that they are someone that you would like to follow.

With these tools, you should be able to expand your Twitter network significantly. And the best part is, your Twitter experience becomes much richer and more rewarding as you follow more people.

List of Jewelry Suppliers

Beads and Gemstones
anybeads.com/index.php ~ great variety & prices
www.beadwright.etsy.com and www.nicolecampanella.com - seed beady supplies and tuts
CrysallisGEMS.etsy.com – really super quality and great service.
DerondaDesign - fabulous lampwork goodness. Great customer service.
www.StudioMarcy.etsy.com - SRA lampwork artist with fabulous and cute works of lampwork art
inmcrystal.com/ GREAT prices on Swarovskis, plus Bali
thebeadyeye.com/shop/
www.artbeads.com - free shipping on all sales, regardless of size
www.auntiesbeads.com/ ~ sign up for newsletter on sales
www.beadaholique.com - they have some items no one else does
www.firemountaingems.com - well, really, what can’t you get at FMG?
www.fusionbeads.com - very much like Artbeads, a little different selection, with free shipping
www.gemshow-online.com/ ~ sign up for sales newsletters, free ship over $25.
www.halsteadbead.com - great prices but $100 minimum order
www.jewelweaver.com - gemstones, Bali silver
www.lampwork.net/ ~ Gorgeous Lampworks by Kandice Seeber
www.nilecorp.com - packaging, displays, jewelry trays
Pure Beads great variety of mostly Czech glass beads, fire-polished and pressed glass.
www.riogrande.com - equipment and metal, lots of cool cabs too
www.tammystreasures.etsy.com -
www.theearthbazaar.com – great gemstones
www.whimbeads.com - flip tops in different sizes, plus seed beads and czech glass
www.znetshows.com/ - Wholesale beads and gemstones tins
beadbead.etsy.com/ (used to be bluewater studio)
lillysbeadbox.etsy.com
rtsy.etsy.com
beadznmore.etsy.com
http://serenasbeadery.com/
studiorent.etsy.com
Stoned.Etsy.com
Bellbohemian.Etsy.com
Brightlings Beads.com
Beads2String.etsy.com
Eavesdrop.etsy.com
DuetSupplies.etsy.com
Magpiegemstones.com

Findings, Wire, Chain
www.monsterslayer.com - lots of cool metal, fine silver, etc, also some stones and other odds and ends. AWESOME service!!
www.azur1.com/ Finished snake chain
stores.channeladvisor.com/accessoriessusan/ brass and silver beads, wraps, finding, and other vintage style and free shipping
http://www.finedings.com- findings, Swarovskis, some Bali, all at competitive prices
www.thunderbirdsupply.com - mostly metal for me
www.tierracast.com - lots of really cool jewelry findings and charms
www.mermaidsdowry.etsy.com - cool brass findings
www.ninadesigns.com - wonderful silver charms
The Ring Lord Chainmail supplies, including jump rings in aluminum too
www.shiana.com/ gorgeous Thai Karen Hill Tribes & Fair Trade silver

Shipping and Packing Supplies
www.royalmailers.com/home.php - Bubble Mailers *Free Shipping* Best prices online. AWESOME service!!
www.fetpak.com/index.html ~ great bulk rates for gift packaging & free shipping
www.papermart.com/
www.skunkgrove.com - flip tops
www.specialtybottle.com/index.asp - Supplier of bottles, jars and tin containers.
Nashvillewraps.com - Great gift boxes, bags, ribbon and paper. Great prices too.

If you are a jewelry artist, I’d love to add your favorite suppliers to my list. Know any more you can recommend?