Handmade Artists Forum Banner Contest

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

Alright I know there are multi-talented people here but does anyone do graphic design. Here's my sample..


Yeah I know you can tell me the truth, don't hold back It's beautiful I know. Alright fine it stinks.

This is the deal I would like to offer a forum banner contest and after we get a few entries we'll put up a poll and see who wins.
The winner will get a free at a boy or girl and a pat on the back and the right to gloat and say I made that banner.

The Banner will be displayed in the top window on the right.

Rules:
1. Size is a standard banner 768x90
2. Text should say "Handmade Artists Forum"
3. Should represent many types of handmade crafts to show the diversity of our membership.
4. If you want to use some of your pics in the banner just remember it's not about promoting you but representing the forum.

So I challenge all our members to come up with something cool for a Forum Banner so that we can proudly display it on top of the site.
Post your entries here and once we get enough we will start our poll.
Hope to have great participation, but realize you have tough competition, my entry is definitely gonna win.

[Jeanne]

Thought I would start.  Not a graphic artist, but played with photoshop.  Not my final entry, but thought this was a good beginning.

Jeanne

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

Great First entry, it's almost as good as mine, well maybe just a tiny bit better. My only critique is the pictures, I would change the pictures to show some more variety from the other artists on the board. I'm flattered that you choose mine and my wife's work to feature but that's not the intent to feature one artist but to show the diversity that has been forming here.

Anyway keep trying you have a stiff competition with my first entry

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

Is Jeanne the only one who is going to jump on this.
Jeanne you may have scared away the competion

[Jeanne]

Jeanne you may have scared away the competion

And that isn't even my best effort....

[torajewelry]

Here's my attempt

[torajewelry]

I'm not sure if everyone can see the animation in the last post so here it is again

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

Nice work torajewelry now Jeanne has some competition but the first entry is still gonna win with its white bland simple elegance. You guys can't stand a chance.

[torajewelry]

Nice work torajewelry now Jeanne has some competition but the first entry is still gonna win with its white bland simple elegance. You guys can't stand a chance.

Yeah my flashy animation's got nothing on white and bland ;p

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

Yeah I thought about adding color but it just took away from my design. 

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

May have to change the size of the banner it worked fine on my widescreen laptop but on a reguler 17" monitor it stretch out the welcome screen and looked all whacked out. Whached is a technical term by the way. The width will need to be reduced. I need to test out some sizes. Unless someone has some suggestions.

[Jeanne]

What are of the forum screen is it going to go?

Jeanne

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

Below the Date and above the search box.

[Chainmaille By MBOI]

Ok I changed the size to 500x62 and I have put it up for now. Lets put a deadline in for the contest to end in a week so we can start to vote so we will open votes on May 6th. I'll try to post a poll and leave voting open for a week.
I'm going to leave the plain Banner up so that everyone can let me know if they have any problems with the size when you view it with different monitors and browsers.
So we only have 2 entries so far so get to work if you want to join in the contest.

[maillemystique]

I have to pay people to make my banners so I'm not help whatsoever! Add to bucket list: learn computers!