@PhantomLegioner
For your first attempt, you've hit some necessary elements when making a signature. Good color combination, stock and text placement, and effects. I'd suggest you work on making your work "flow" more, as in making your effects to work towards a single physical direction. Also, blending your focus with the background is key, to make them become one, rather than the appearance of an image on a background.
Would appreciate feedback on this signature I made a few days ago. My main technique is smudging.
Stock: http://imageftw.com/uploads/20110326/FileLitwickBWPromo9.jpg