I cheat really. I use Adobe Lightroom, I use one of my own preset settings or choose out of hundreds of downloaded preset settings. I find one that complements a picture and then refine it further to my own taste. It saves a lot time.
I also use a fast prime lens. That gets you the blurring effect (shallow depth of field) due to the large aperture.
Just bought a Raynox DCR-250 for £35. It turns a zoom lens into a macro lens. It's amazing considering the price. I'm using it with a Nikon AF-S 55-200mm in the pick below.