i ♥ pixlr...

 ...and it's free!  a few months ago i was frustrated because i needed to edit a few photos and make a banner, but didn't want to buy adobe software.  there is a free one-month trial version available online, but my friend julia used the program and she said it was a pain - it kept making her computer crash. 

a photo i edited using the delightful service, pixlr

 

that's why i was so happy to discover pixlr!  it's pretty easy to use - the only quirk i've found is occasionally having difficulty opening my work once it's saved to my computer.  saving as a .png file seemed to help.  might not happen to you, though!

i created my etsy store banner and my blog banner with pixlr and was pretty pleased with the results...for now :)

banner-rama

it is mindblowing how quickly technology evolves...when i first started selling my handcrafteds not alot of free website resources existed, and websites in general were stressful and expensive.  flash-forward, and now you can do so much...for free! 

one such free resource is the banner creation page on one of my new favorite blogs:  everything etsy.  if photoshop is not currently a part of your life, then this page is a lifesaver!

here are a few banners i created using everything etsy's free banner creation page:

etsy also has a few free templates:

the good thing is you can use these banners for your blog, but will probably need to tweak the dimensions slightly. what great resources for small business owners who want to look professional, but don't have professional-size wallets!