In this example, I used four layers: The sun graphic, the photo of my kitty, the text, and the background. I thought this came out pretty well.

Here I took the background layer and filled it with a darker color. Then I used the text tool to add in lighter text on a separate layer.

I very much liked both banners. The layering technique does lend itself to an infinite variety of effects. The layering technique is one of the most useful skills I've learned in this course.