I love hearing from you!

If you ask a question in your comment, please make sure to either show your email in your blogger profile, or email me directly....this is the only way that I can answer you!

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Calendar Challenge Grand Prize Winner!!


Want to say Thank You to AJ and Shelly who played along in Calendar Challenge.
AJ finished a WHOLE calendar and used ALL CDS Images!!
Wahooooo!!!

So AJ you are the Grand Prize Winner!!
You get 6 CDS Digital Images for free!!
Contact me @ dunnitagaindesigns@gmail.com to claim your prize!


3 DAYS LEFT UNTIL STORE CLOSING!

We still have a bunch of deals....please come by and grab some before they are all gone!

Go here to see all of our deals! 

From now until the 30th of September all digis and SVG files will be 25% off!  Enjoy!
Enter this code at checkout:  SEPT30CLOSING
 
Some of the stamps will be moving with the illustrators while other will not.
Some of the illustrators will be phasing them into their new places. So if you want one NOW you better get it because it might not be available right away at their new home!!
Lauri Wilson - moving to Doodle Pantry
Patrick Dunnegan - not moving so if you want them get them NOW!!
Austin - not moving so if you want them get them NOW!!
Trudy Sjolander - unknown - go to blog for updates - True's Gifts from the Heart
Lisa Lara - unknown - go to blog for updates - Lisa's Life Lines

Thursday, September 26, 2013

4 DAYS LEFT UNTIL STORE CLOSING!

We still have a bunch of deals....please come by and grab some before they are all gone!

 

 Go here to see all of our deals!


charliegrabbag1 

All 14 sets for $20!

grabbag100for20 
Now that's a deal!

There are a lot more deals to be had.....make sure to hurry over!

Thursday, September 19, 2013

We have Winners!


A huge thank you to all of the blog hoppers from this last Sunday's hop!  We have some winners to announce.  If your name is on the list, you will be emailed your prize by today.  Congratulations!

Jerusha - Debi from That Might Look Good on a Card
Dee - Kren - A Fourth Life
Deanette -  Edwina from Edwina's Creations

Dana -  Auntie Em from ~ Scrapping Some Memories

Vickie -  Suze Woods

Jennifer - Beth from Beth's Cards
Kathy -  Kelly S - Sandcastle Stamper

Linda - Natalie from Delightful Details

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Winner and Top 3 of CiSC #3 - Thank You


I totally forgot to post the winner and top 3 of the CiSC #3 challenge - Thank You.

Winner is:
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Prize: $10 gift code to Clearly Digi Stamps for digital stamps.
Remember Karen you only have till the 30th to spend your digital code!!
 
 Please contact Cassie (cassandratrask@yahoo.com) for your prize.

Here are the Top 4 (we had a tie) in no particular order:

#1 - Tammy




#18 - Margaret

#19 - Claire

#24 - Kathleen
 

 Ladies here is your badge to display proudly on your blog:



Don't forget after SEPTEMBER 30th you will no longer be able to order stamps from Clearly Digi Stamps!! So if you want something get it now!!
From now until the 30th of September all digis and SVG files will be 25% off!  Enjoy!
Enter this code at checkout:  SEPT30CLOSING
 
Some of the stamps will be moving with the illustrators while other will not.
Some of the illustrators will be phasing them into their new places. So if you want one NOW you better get it because it might not be available right away at their new home!!
Lauri Wilson - moving to Doodle Pantry
Patrick Dunnegan - not moving so if you want them get them NOW!!
Austin - not moving so if you want them get them NOW!!
Trudy Sjolander - unknown - go to blog for updates - True's Gifts from the Heart
Lisa Lara - unknown - go to blog for updates - Lisa's Life Lines


Sunday, September 15, 2013

Time to hop along...


Sorry for getting the post up a little late....having technical difficulties!!

As you read on Friday Lori is closing the store to focus on family and listen to what God has in store for her. It is a sad but exciting time all at once. Linda has been a wonderful host of the Sunday Blog Hops for some time now and she wanted to have one last blog hop to show off Lori's wonderful stamps. We will also be sending Lori cards to encourage her on her God driven journey.

This is really isn't good-bye as we will still be connected by the internet. So hope you will hop along the blogs enjoy the cards and bookmark us so you can stop by and see us from time to time. You will have a chance to win the stamp the designer showcased on their blog just by leaving a comment on their blog. One person will be chosen from each blog and the winner will be announce here at Clearly iStamp Blog on Thursday, 09/19/2013, at 10 am.

But if you don't win or you just see something you have to have hop over to the store when you are done as there is a sale going on.
From now until the 30th of September all digis and SVG files will be 25% off!  Enjoy!
Enter this code at checkout:  SEPT30CLOSING
 You can read the whole post about the closing and where some of the illustrators are taking their stamps, 

Now time to hop!!!
Thanks for being a part of crafting journey!!

 

Friday, September 13, 2013

The time has come.......


Hello everyone!

This is probably the hardest post that I have every had to write.....but it is written with sadness and excitement at the same time. 

I sat and stared at the discussion title blank for quite some time trying to decide how I should start this blog post, as there is no easy way to say this.  After much prayer, and more prayer, and then some more prayer, I have made the decision to close Clear Dollar Stamps/Clearly Digi Stamps.  

The bottom line is that God just told me IT IS TIME.

Some of you may know that a couple of years ago, God clearly told me to home school my girls.  They were both doing very well in school, both had friends, both well adjusted.  I felt like God was telling me to home school them, so I went to a local home school convention just to see if God gave me a peace.  As I stood in the middle of the convention area, I just felt God sweep an entire peace over my whole body and say "you are going to home school!"  Now, a person doesn't get too many of these moments in their life, so I was so excited!  So I told God, "Yes, Lord, I hear you, but you need to convince my husband!"  The rest is history!

My daughter and I have also discovered that we are corn and gluten intolerant, among many other foods.  Those of you with this same "challenge" know how time consuming cooking everything is....because, as you know, if you are corn intolerant, corn is in everything that you buy.  I have discovered some wonderful recipes and that gluten/corn free really isn't that bad! I hope to be sharing some of that creative journey with you too, here on my blog!

With that said, I feel that my attention has been too divided between home school, health issues, and trying to run a business that my girls have no interest in helping with. I really want to devote my time to them and helping them succeed!

My girls are in 5th and 7th grade this year, and we completely love homeschooling.  We have two little shelties that just became parents to 5 precious little babies.  Time for a picture insert, don't you think?



We want to start a little Etsy business together making "tweeny style" dog clothes and some other toy items, which can be a part of their home schooling.  So I will still be out there being creative, but I will get to do it with my kids...what a blessing!  So watch for what is to come!

I will also be making SVG files for Laurie Wilson's shop, Doodle Pantry.  I also hope to do some scripture stamps through my Etsy store....but that timing is yet to be decided....so make sure to follow my blog so that you know when the blessed event occurs!

I have had many cries over this decision, but I am finally to the excited part of my journey....excited to see what God has for me next!

I will be closing the store on September 30th.  Laurie will be taking her illustrations to her store, Doodle Pantry.  Deedee will be moving to Diane Noble's store here.  Austin and Kathy's husband are to be announced as to their new paths.  Trudy Sjolander is going to be taking her illustrations and selling them too, but has not let me know where yet.  I'll keep everyone posted as time unfolds.

So we will all still be here in blog land, just in a little different way!

I have made so many wonderful friends through this business...what a blessing!
I hope that Clear Dollar Stamps/Clearly Digi Stamps has been a blessing to you over the years too! 

Make sure to get any digis that you would like before the 30th when we close!  Some of the girls don't have a new home yet, so they will be unavailable after the 30th of September.

From now until the 30th of September all digis and SVG files will be 25% off!  Enjoy!
Enter this code at checkout:  SEPT30CLOSING


Love and hugs to you all!
Lori McCroskey

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Tuesday Tutorial: Adding Artistic Filters Using Word


OK, so we all have our favorite digis that we love to use again and again, right? But even using our favorite digis, we might like a little diversity. Sure, we can add that through the use of different colors, papers, and accessories, but how about something really dramatic like changing the style of the actual lines of the images? Today I'm going to show you how to do just that using Microsoft Word (TM)  and "filters," aka "artistic effects." Fun! :-)

Please note that this tutorial does assume some basic understanding of digis. If you are brand new to using digis, please visit our Digi Stamps 101 page HERE for directions to get you started. Also, for this tutorial, I'll be using Microsoft Word 2010. If you'd like to follow along with my directions for creating scenes with your digis using Word 2010, but don't currently have this program installed on your computer, you can download a free 60-day-use trial of Microsoft Office 2010 HERE (Microsoft Word is included in the Office suite of programs).


A. Adding "Filters" to Digis Using Word (Mac Version)

1. Open a new, blank document in Microsoft Word.

2. Insert the digi of your choice into the Word document.

3. Click on the digi with your mouse to select it in the Word window. Notice that when you select the digi, a blue bounding box appears around the image, and that the  "Format Picture" tab on the Adjustments toolbar becomes highlighted. This means that the tools in this tab are available to be used on the digi.

4. In the Format Picture tab, locate and click the "Filters" button.



5. A visual menu will open on the screen. This menu includes a variety of "filters" that can be applied to the selected digi. A tooltip stating the name of each filter will appear if you hover your mouse over a particular icon.


6. Click on one of the icons in the "Filters" menu to apply a filter, and watch how the image changes on your screen. For example, you might apply the "Chalk Sketch" filter as I did to this image.


7. Go ahead and experiment with all of the filters to see what they do -- you know you want to! :-)

8. If you like the look of the filter you applied, simply print out the digi as you usually would for use in a project.

9. If you don't like the look of the filter you applied, either select a different one from the menu, or click on the first icon in the Filters menu -- "No Filter" -- to remove any changes.

B. Adding "Artistic Effects" to Digis Using Word (PC Version)

The steps for adding a filter to a digi are a bit different if you are using the PC version of Word 2010. Because I do not have access to a PC at this time, I unable to show photos, but here are the steps for you to follow. Note that they are very similar to those for a Mac, with just minor differences in the names of the tabs and buttons, so the pictures above should still give you a good sense of things.

1. Open a new, blank document in Microsoft Word.

2. Insert the digi of your choice into the Word document.

3. Click on the digi with your mouse to select it in the Word window. Notice that when you select the digi, a blue bounding box appears around the image, and that the  "Picture Tools/Format" tab on the  toolbar becomes highlighted. This means that the tools in this tab are available to be used on the digi.

4. In the "Adjust" section of the toolbar (left end), locate and click on the "Artistic Effects" button.

5. A visual menu will open on the screen. This menu includes a variety of "artistic effects" that can be applied to the selected digi. A tooltip stating the name of each artistic effect will appear if you hover your mouse over a particular icon.

6. Click on one of the icons in the "Artistic Effects" menu to apply it, and watch how the image changes on your screen.

7. Go ahead and experiment with all of the artistic effects to see what they do -- you know you want to! :-)

8. If you like the look of the artistic effect you applied, simply print out the digi as you usually would for use in a project.

9. If you don't like the look of the artistic effect you applied, either select a different one from the menu, or click on the first icon in the Artistic Effects menu -- "None" -- to remove any changes.

Although I've demonstrated this technique with an outline image, it can work with pre-colored images as well. (The card at the top of my post was created by applying the "Cement" filter to the colored fall tree image from the "In Season" digi set.) Please note, however, that how well the technique works with pre-colored images will depend on the image itself, which filter you apply to it, and the print quality of your particular printer.

If you have any questions about this tutorial, please be sure to leave a comment on this post. If you would like a direct reply, please include your email address. Until next time, happy crafting! :-)

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Part 4 of the Calendar Challenge

I know I'm a couple days late. Life was not letting me craft. But I finally was able to sneak in my craft room today. I totally slacked and didn't get 3 done last time so I have 5 more to make these 3 weeks to get my calendar finished. But I will say I'm farther along then I would have been if I wasn't hosting this challenge.

The winner from Part 3 Calendar Challenge is:
Congratulations Shelly!
You have one a $5 gift code to Clearly Digi Stamps  
 Please contact Cassie (cassandratrask@yahoo.com) for your prize.


Kathy D.
It is ONLY $1.00 so you better get it!! What a deal!!

I love Halloween! What's better then dressing up, acting like a kid and eating lots of candy!! 
I used the sketch from Simple Sketches #2 Challenge.


This is our last challenge and then you should have a calendar completed, almost completed or at least started!! 
For every page you enter  (up to 3 entries) you will be entered into a drawing for two digital stamps at Clearly Digi Stamps. There will be a grand prize!! Anyone who completes a whole calendar (12 pages) will be entered into a drawing to win 1/2 the amount of Clearly Digi Stamps that you used on your calendar. So if you use 12 Clearly Digi Stamps to make the calendar you will win 6 Clearly Digi Stamps of your choice!! You don't have to use CDS images to enter but it will get you more CDS stamps if you win the Grand Prize.
CHALLENGE: 3 calendar pages any size (with or without pictures)


Time: Sept 7 - Sept 28 @ 11 pm (Central Time)


Prize: 2 Digital Stamps from Clearly Digi Stamps

Winner will be announced on Sept 29 @ 10 am (central time) 
* You don't have to make the pages in order. So start out with any month that you have inspiration for!

 CHALLENGE RULES:
  • You may use digis or stamps from any company on your challenge entry. Or no stamps at all but you must meet the requirement of the challenge.
  • If you use a CDS image then you will be entered twice into the drawing.
  • You may enter the Calendar challenge up to 3 times per post.
  • Please, no back posting. Your challenge entry needs to be a new creation.
  • Must link directly to your post that contains your entry.
  • We also ask that you link back to Clearly iStamp.
  • Any submission that does not fit the challenge rules will be eliminated from winning the prize and removed from the challenge.
Please link directly to your project using Mister Linky down below.


Friday, September 6, 2013

CiSC #6 Reminder!! Come play in our Thank You Challenge


These past few weeks have just been busy so unfortunetly something had to give and it was crafty time for challenges on here. I didn't get a sample for CiSC #6 - Thank You done but Linda did!! Thank you Linda.
You have a week left to play in the challenge....so come play with us!!


 


Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Clearly iStamp Blog Challenge #5 Winners and Top 3!!

Thanks to everyone that played! I hope all the kiddos got off to a wonderful school year ahead. 

Here are the Top 3 in no particular order:








 Ladies here is your badge to display proudly on your blog:

 Our random drawn winner of CiSC #5 - School Time Challenge.


The winner is #38 - Nonni
 CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Prize: $10 gift code to Clearly Digi Stamps for digital stamps.
 Please contact Cassie (cassandratrask@yahoo.com) for your prize.