scrapnnana
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 15, 2024 15:31:26 GMT
Thank you for the description, Embri. I tend to think of “old person stamps” as being particular design styles, rather than stamps that have more open area for shading, creating patterns and/or freehand expression.
If you are basing your opinion on what Stampin’ Up products are to be found in the thrift store, though, the cast offs are more likely to be the less loved, less popular stamps. I doubt that they are a great example of what is available from Stampin’ Up.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 15, 2024 13:53:05 GMT
Thank you, elegantsufficiency , for the update. My engineer DH had told me that it sounded like they were changing servers, and that is what the email you posted said. He also said that normally, when a company changes servers, the switch doesn’t occur until the new site is working well. I went ahead and bought items from the Silhouette Design Store during the half off sale, since I figured I could download them later, and I had credits that needed to be used. I had 83 items that I had bought and were waiting to be downloaded. In the past, you could download the entire order as one, and they showed up in your software immediately. Last night, I had to download each of the 83 items separately, and I will have to unzip each separately, which will take time and be annoying. Hopefully they will get all this corrected soon. I am still working OFFLINE with my Silhouette for now. Other than not being able to purchase and download files from the Silhouette Design Store, it works fine.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 14, 2024 15:11:02 GMT
I don't follow the various big craft companies much, but Stampin' Up has always felt like "old people's card making stuff" to me. Mostly due to their stamp range. I probably qualify as an “old” crafter. I’m curious as to what you think “old people’s card making stuff” looks like. I’ll have to get out my most recent SU catalog and take a look. I want to see what “old people’s card making stuff” looks like. My style is actually all over the place, depending on my mood and/or who is getting the card. I also have a huge collection of stamps in a very wide variety of styles, since I’ve been collecting stamps for decades. I started stamping back when I was a young mom. It takes a lot to impress me. I’ve been stamping long enough that I have seen techniques and styles come, go, and come back again with a slightly different twist. I will admit that I don’t usually bother with the more recent trends of inking, stenciling, etc., because I don’t enjoy it. I use some of the inking techniques occasionally (usually when required by a CARDtober challenge), but I prefer making cards that move, pop, are 3D, or are just more fun. Inking is not my idea of fun. ……Back to the SU catalog. I got pulled away by a phone call, so I took a few minutes to find one, although it is May 2023 to April 2024. I never ordered anything from it, but I haven’t received a more recent catalog (probably because I haven’t bought anything SU for a long time). If that is an “old person’s card making stuff,” they totally missed the mark. I found nothing appealing. I have far better stamps and supplies in my craft room. If that is your idea of “old people’s stuff,” I should be offended. I’m not, but for the record, older crafters vary just as much as young crafters in what they like. I think that the SU catalog looks like it is trying to appeal to a wide variety of crafters, but in trying to be generic enough to appeal to everyone, probably ends up pleasing very few (if any). Creative Memories isn’t really any better IMO. However, maybe the displaced CTMH consultants going to SU and CM will help bring some creativity to both companies.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 13, 2024 15:25:54 GMT
To add to petscrapper's excellent post, manufacturing in China isn't as cut and dry as Gina K. is presenting either. …The only thing I completely agree with is that nobody should be installing the APP for Temu/AliEx/whatever. Just don't. use their website, even though it's less convenient. At least you can sandbox it away from your personal data and run privacy extensions. I’ve always avoided both Temu and AliExpress for security reasons. However, until this thread, I assumed that at least Amazon was more careful about protecting designer rights. It may have been true once, but I don’t think that is true anymore. I won’t be buying any more Jaded Blossom knock offs from Amazon. Aside from how I feel about this issue in general, I hadn’t thought about the possibility of Chinese dies having lead in them. I don’t know if GinaK was right about that, but I personally would rather not take the risk, and I also prefer to support the designers, even if I am paying more. Having additional information, even if GinaK may have been a little biased, helped settle the issue for me. That is my personal choice. For the record, though, I’m not judging anyone, regardless of what their choice in how/where they spend their money may be. DH and I lived below the poverty level long ago, and it’s a hard situation to be in.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 13, 2024 15:03:38 GMT
I don’t think that Creative Memories is as militant as they used to be, but I certainly think that Stampin’ Up would be a better match for most of the CTMH reps that want to continue to provide options for their customers, even if their stamp styles differ significantly.
The CM philosophy may have changed since I last had anything to do with them (long, long ago), but the CM philosophy has always been more about just getting the pictures in the album. Making your pages decorative wasn’t the priority. Stamping on album pages was really frowned upon by CM reps in the past. I don’t know about now.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 13, 2024 14:54:39 GMT
Almost any card that utilizes the man’s interests would be good. For example, my DH and sons are NOT into sports, so I make cards for them using themes they do appreciate: beach, woods, or mountains.
Pinterest has examples of masculine cards.
Heartfelt Creations just re-released their Everyday Heroes line in digital format, and they also have done at least one or two videos on cards made with that line, too. I haven’t had time to check yet, but you can probably find them on Facebook if you want to see their recent videos of Father’s Day cards.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 12, 2024 14:27:21 GMT
I’ve been a care giver ever since DH had a heart attack that nearly took his life 3 years ago. I don’t always have the time or energy to clean up promptly, but I have been making progress on getting things better organized so that it is quicker and easier to clean up after projects. I really need to get the Ikea cube shelving that will hold 12x12 papers, but I also need to go through all the papers I bought from Tuesday Morning and get rid of the ones that I probably will never use. I also need to declutter other crafty supplies.
Getting rid of anything crafty is hard for me, since I don’t have any LSS that is within an acceptable driving distance, but decluttering scrapbook supplies is even harder.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 12, 2024 14:15:35 GMT
I read this when she posted it and I agree with her and support her. I do, too. It clarified the issue for me.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 12, 2024 4:07:51 GMT
I saw this on Facebook this evening. It was reposted by someone on the Facebook Group Scrapbook Addicts, but was originally posted by Gina Aurelio Krupsky. I thought I had not heard of her, then it hit me that she must be Gina K., a well known craft designer. Her comments apply to this discussion, and she explains some of the reasons why places like Temu and AE are so cheap, and why the American paper craft companies charge what they do. This certainly made me re-think what I want to do going forward: Good Monday morning friends! I would like to address something that deeply concerns me. This is a long post, but I'd like to talk a little bit about the Chinese knock-off sites like Temu, AliExpress and others. It pains me to even type those names, however, if I don't, there will be people who will believe that these sites are legitimate. First of all, ANY product you see on one of those sites that looks like one of my products is NOT MY PRODUCT. These are KNOCK-OFFS, plain and simple. This is stolen intellectual property. These designs have been stolen from me, from my daughters, from Melanie, Lisa, Beth, Debbie, Dina and Arjita. And the reach is further than that as we pay hefty licensing fees to other artists to use their art in the production of paper crafting products, so they are affected too. You might see cards on those sites by Mindy, Jennifer or Cathy Z. These and other designers are NOT promoting those sites. Their card photos have also been stolen to promote their knock offs. How Temu and other sites like this operate. Temu sells nothing. They are like a Amazon, just the face of a company that sells nothing but makes a commission on every sale. They have registered their Chinese company in Boston and Delware to make you believe they are here. But they are in China. Like Amazon, they rent space (virtual stores) to small manufacturing businesses from China. The Chinese factories that sell on these sites operate sweat shops and employ adults and children to manufacture knock-off products for very little pay, horrid working conditions, long hours with no breaks, no time off and, they work in very dangerous environments. Temu and AliExpress make the bulk of their money in a different way. They mine your information and then they sell it. There is a LOT of money in selling YOU. And that's what they do. They also place malware on your phone and computer so they can track your habits. Isn't that comforting? Get those apps off your phone as soon as you can. To read more about this from Tech Guru Kim Komando, click here: www.komando.com/security/temu-data-risks/887048/These Chinese companies are NOT our manufacturers. In fact, the manufacturer where my dies are made is supporting IACC, which stands for the International Anti-Counterfeiting Coalition. It is an organization that helps business get these countefeit listings pulled down from those sites. For more information about IACC, click here: www.iacc.org/online-initiatives/marketsafe The good Chinese manufacturers, who pay a decent wage, offer safe working environments and care about the quality of their products are also being hurt by this countefeiting. These sweat shops are constantly getting shut down for intellectual property theft and they reopen under a different name almost the next day. It's truly a game of Whack-a-mole. We employ someone in our company to spend a good portion of their day combing those sites for counterfeit Gina K. Designs products and filing theft reports. This is now what small craft companies have to do if they want any of those products to be taken down. It's expensive, time consuming and it feels like a never-ending effort, because it is. But there is more than just the stealing that is concerning. These manufacturers use subpar and often dangerous materials to make their products. They may look and feel the same, however, you can be guaranteed that our dies do NOT contain lead. And our stamps are manufactured in the USA so they are made of Photopolymer, not silicone. How do they get the designs? In the past, they used to just do a screen shot from their computer, clean it up in Photoshop and make something that looked very close. But they also steal our online product photos, including the beautiful projects created by our designers to promote the product. So to the customer, they look the same. They have recently gotten more sophisticated and now, they have addresses in the USA where they purchase products from our companies and have them shipped to their factories so they can make better copies when it comes to size. However, many of the smaller factories still use screen-grab technology so when your stamps or dies arrive, they are the wrong size, sometimes the print is backwards or words are misspelled because of the fuzzy image and more. Often people complain that they bought a stamp set from us and the dies from Temu, (because they were cheaper,) but they don't fit correctly. The worst part of all of this: Many US and other popular brands are sinking fast. People are buying from these knock-off sites and the small companies can't absorb the loss and the cost of producing anymore. Many of my friends who own companies have gone out of business or they are on the edge. And when customers justify by saying that we charge too much, they don't have any idea what they are talking about. Would it surprise you to know that these site sell stamps and dies for less than I pay for my products to be manufactured? I pay way more for my dies IN CHINA than for what they are selling them for. I have to be able to sell my products at a wholesale price to our partner stores like Simon, Scrapbook dot com, Scrapmania, Bumbleberrys and more. I have to pay my illustrators, affiliates, office staff, pickers, packers, assemblers and warehouse workers a decent wage, facility expenses like rent and utilities, insurance and workman’s comp, pay for free shipping and free incentive stamps, and still somehow take a little home to pay my own bills. The sad truth. The craft industry is struggling right now and many small companies are leaving. Brick and mortar stores are closing. Big box stores are getting rid of paper crafts. That being said, we continue to stay strong because of you! And we are so grateful that you choose to support real artists, high quality products and our small business. I know you have heard this type of misinformation from your friends or other crafters: "Well that's where Gina K gets her stuff and marks it up a whole bunch." (That's not true) "That's what they get for making things in China." (Certain things are unavailable or there isn't enough manufacturing space in the US) "Well I can't afford to buy the real thing!" (I can't afford a BMW but I won't steal one) Please remind them that eventually, we will all sink from that mentality. Then, ask yourself, once these companies go out of business: Who will the knock-off places have to steal from? Who will provide innovative designs and tools? Who will provide free education like YouTube videos and reels? Who will be holding fun crafting events? Who will be sharing beautiful inspiration? Nobody. We will be gone.
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scrapnnana
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 11, 2024 21:46:22 GMT
I consider a craft project to be anything from a card/scrapbook page to a home decor project, or any other hand made item.
I make cards more than anything, but they are a quick finish.
I scrapbook, and will always have albums in progress. I started scrapbooking after I already had my kids, now I have grandkids, so that is a never ending project, I guess.
I make home decor items, but usually finish each project before I move on to something else.
I make jewelry. Same thing. I finish a project before I do something else.
I do t-shirts, too.
I usually finish each project before I go on to another.
However, I do have a mini album that I started back in 2020. It was a project that I was designing/making up as I went. I got bogged down, so I set it aside. I go back to it about once a year. It’s mostly an exercise in creativity, so there is no time table to get it done. When I do a mini album, I just do it for the fun. I have added photos to one or two, but mostly I just enjoy creating them occasionally for the fun of it. I should get that one mini album finished.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 9, 2024 19:05:59 GMT
Good to see you here again!
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 8, 2024 21:47:51 GMT
I have been scrapbooking since the fall of 1996. In the beginning days, I was invited to a "scrapbook crop" by an acquaintance. Unbeknownst to me it was a Creative Memories crop and sales party. The very rude sales person chastised me for using "contraband" and *very bad* products (back then, cardstock die cuts, deco scissors and Mrs Grossmans stickers ![(rofl)](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/smiley/rofl.png) ). I never attended a Creative Memories crop again after that. I bought the corner rounder, because the Hostess who invited me was nice… Definitely got my money's worth from that corner rounder..... as well as learned a lifelong lesson about home sales parties. I started scrapbooking in August of 1996 while on a trip to see family. My ex-SIL got me started in scrapbooking. She had been a CM rep, but was more laid back and saw no issue with using stamps and other contraband on layouts. In fact, she encouraged it. Her pages were gorgeous, and definitely not typical CM. A CM local to my area sent out an invite to a crop to get new customers, so I went. I was basically shunned for using non-CM tools and products. Like you, I never went back. I didn’t even stick with CM albums for long. And like you, I still have my corner rounder. I hope you can get yours working well again.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 7, 2024 6:06:27 GMT
I have albums, page protectors, card stock, patterned papers, adhesives, stamps, inks, dies, other tools, and everything I need to scrapbook for the rest of my life. There is only one thing I would truly need to stock up on:
Printer ink cartridges.
Refill inks for my Copics would help, too.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 4, 2024 18:19:17 GMT
I don’t know if this is a trend, or I’ve just started noticing it since I now incorporate digital designs in my own paper crafting, but I have been seeing digital items on layouts.
Some ephemera packs seem to include digital images, but I don’t think what I’ve been seeing is strictly from ephemera packs.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 1, 2024 22:35:53 GMT
I used to do Calendar pages, with one side a decorative calendar with events on the appropriate dates, and the opposite page a layout with a few photos of the month’s events or activities. In some cases, if one event was especially important or momentous, I focused on that event.
I haven’t done that for awhile, so if you want to see the pages, be aware that they are an older style. I do sometimes think I want to do calendar pages again, though.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 1, 2024 21:59:04 GMT
When I was on this afternoon, the site was working fairly well, although a bit sluggish. It’s better than yesterday, except for the fact that the free file and the one file I bought supposedly downloaded but won’t sync to my library. My Cameo tries to sync, but it keeps giving me an error message. I have an older version of the software, which could be the issue, but I prefer this version, since I have a Cameo 4, not a Cameo 5. I may have to update my software, and I’d rather not.
So I went back to offline. Hopefully they will have it all fixed by Monday or Tuesday.
If it still has issues, and I have to update my software, then I have a backup copy of my Silhouette library.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 1, 2024 16:10:14 GMT
OH, mercy, I have a Cameo....I have not used it in several months......ugh...I dread to get online and see what kind of nightmare I am facing. :/ I need to do some shopping, and not lose my credits I have.....I am a slacker, lol.... ![:(](//storage.proboards.com/5645536/images/mYSUyHtG9Jrcmm_ydVcK.jpg) That was one of my worries, too. They are reportedly going to make sure that lost credits will be restored. Here is another site that had more information, and it’s worth checking: More helpful Silhouette Update info
I feel less stressed now that I know my credits won’t be lost forever. So far, it looks like they are still there, even if I can’t use them right now. The sale goes till June 5th, so hopefully the site will be fixed before then.
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Post by scrapnnana on Jun 1, 2024 15:56:57 GMT
It’s a lovely card, Shakti . I’m not continuing with the challenge. I have company coming in a few weeks, my DH just got out of the hospital, and it’s bad timing for me. I decided to spend yesterday reorganizing a closet that really needed an overhaul. It was time well spent. I’ll look forward to seeing your take on the challenges, though.
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Post by scrapnnana on May 31, 2024 23:24:43 GMT
Update: later this afternoon, the site started working better and isn’t as slow. So that is definitely progress.
When I first went on, the sale price still didn’t show in the cart. That has changed. It does now.
I decided to allow my Silhouette software to connect to the internet, and it tried to sync multiple times, but gave me an error message each time.
I use a version of the software that is not the most recent, but I have a Cameo 4, not the 5, and the newer software has features geared toward the Cameo 5. I prefer the version I currently have, without extra bells and whistles that I won’t use and might potentially slow things down.
So I switched my software back to working offline for now.
But at least the website has improved.
For the record, I have a Cricut Explore Air 2, and it is a good machine, but the Silhouette software is far better and more capable IMO than the Cricut software, at least for designing my own cutting files. With my subscription, the Silhouette designs are also a lot more affordable to buy than Cricut designs, and except for the Disney designs, I prefer the style of Silhouette designs in general. I don’t intend to give up my Silhouette over this, but I do think whoever was in charge of the update made a lot of mistakes. Hopefully they will learn from this, but I’m not surprised that Restless Spirit is giving up on Silhouette. I think a lot of people probably feel like walking away. This has probably really hurt Silhouette. Upsetting customers is never a good idea.
Despite the frustrations of what has happened, I am willing to wait. I’m sure they will fix the issues, but I do wish they had handled this better.
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Post by scrapnnana on May 31, 2024 23:04:57 GMT
I signed up also but haven't had a chance to listen/watch yet Same here.
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Post by scrapnnana on May 31, 2024 13:14:36 GMT
Feeling too lazy to post a screenshot, but here's the text of the email Silhouette sent out this evening. I find it to be less then helpful: We are aware of the issues being encountered with the new websites. We apologize for any inconvenience and frustration this may have caused. Rest assured we are working diligently to resolve these problems and will have everything up and running smoothly soon. Our intent with this upgrade is to improve your experience and the offerings we provide. We thank you for your patience and understanding. Yes, I got the same email. They should have sent a heads up before this fiasco even happened, and told customers there might be issues using the site. I think they also should make sure that subscription credits carry over, even if due to expire. I thought I had used enough of mine to carry over, but I wasn’t sure, and the site no longer shows which of your credits are from your subscription vs. credit that you have purchased. They did show that in the past. But I think the supreme stupidity is to announce a half off sale that doesn’t actually give you half off, at least not if you are using subscription credits. That is going to make customers even more upset than they already are.
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Post by scrapnnana on May 31, 2024 12:57:24 GMT
About that sale……I figured I would see what would happen if I added my wishlist to the shopping cart.
There is supposedly a half off sale, but nothing shows as half price. All items in my cart show FULL PRICE! And the total cost shows FULL PRICE.
Essentially, THEIR HALF OFF SALE IS A LIE if no discount is actually given.
So those files will sit in my cart until the cart shows that the discount price will be applied.
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Post by scrapnnana on May 30, 2024 22:24:25 GMT
You made me laugh!
But I went and signed up. I’m not really interested in the Bingo activities, but I am curious about what she’ll be teaching, and since it was free, why not?
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Post by scrapnnana on May 30, 2024 17:29:09 GMT
Silhouette posted their 50% off sale on Facebook. They definitely got some pointed comments in replies about their site fiasco. Not sure if the public comments will get them to fix it any faster, but I can hope they at least are seeing how unhappy customers are. They might just delete their comment and/or the replies. We’ll see what happens.
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Post by scrapnnana on May 30, 2024 13:14:59 GMT
Over a week to update a server? That's either negligence or incompetence. Best advice is to always, always download and archive a backup copy of your important files, and make sure they work. If you cannot archive it, you don't actually own it. I agree that users should have downloaded everything, and backed all files up to your own hard drive or external hard drive. I’ve always done that. I have all the files that I’ve downloaded until this most recent update. You cannot assume there will never be a problem with the Cloud. I have never seen such a disaster with Silhouette before, and I’ve been using Silhouette for over 15 years, probably more like 20. Hopefully they will fix it quickly, but from what I read, their most recent “fix” just made things worse. I will continue to work offline until they fix it. Normally I take advantage of any 50% off sale, but no way am I buying any files until they fix the site. Did they seriously think a half off sale would help when people can’t download the designs? And getting more people on their site is bound to make it run slower still, and just make more people livid. My DH has a tech background, and he said that there is a very specific procedure to change a website, to make sure that any new overhaul of the site will go smoothly and avoid this kind of disaster. You shouldn’t dismantle what you had before the new one works well. They seem to have skipped that part. Edited to add: A bit higher up in this thread, I recommended that everyone back up all of the files you have in your Silhouette program. Before you do this, make sure your computer is temporarily offline. Set up a separate folder in your computer files and name it something suitable. My folder has today’s date followed by “Silhouette Library Export” so I can see at a glance which is the most recent. Then, if you haven’t already done this, switch your Silhouette software program, regardless of what version it is, to “work offline” by clicking on your name in the upper left corner of the software. A drop down menu will offer you the chance to work offline, as well as export your entire library to the file folder you have prepared. It has a default folder it will set up, but you can change that to the folder that you have named. I exported a previous library back up in February, but I have added files since then, so I am doing a new export. When it exports the library to the folder you have chosen, it can take awhile. Once you have exported your library (all the files will also remain in your Silhouette software program), you can change your computer settings back to being online, but keep the Silhouette software offline for now until they fix their issues. That will allow you to keep their problems from affecting your library. I had switched mine off a day or two ago, when it kept trying to update the library files without succeeding. I’m glad that it didn’t. I got fed up and switched to working offline and forgot about it, but I am keeping it that way until they get their problems resolved.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
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Posts: 6,191
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on May 30, 2024 6:09:51 GMT
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Posts: 6,191
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on May 30, 2024 5:52:01 GMT
I’m not sure how I found it, but somehow I found a link to a thread of complaints about the update, perhaps on Facebook.
Since some people have lost their entire LIBRARY OF DESIGNS, I recommend that you avoid at all costs the option on the site that says “reconfigure library” or something similar. I am betting that is how libraries disappeared. I can’t think of any reason to even have that as a link.
I have set my software to “Work Offline” so I at least don’t lose my library while they work out the bugs. I also took a photo of how much I have in credits, just in case the credits disappear.
When I complained to my husband about the new site, he said that he wonders if they moved to a new website provider that promised to save them money, but that doesn’t really deliver the same service or quality. Sometimes companies get roped into changing, then find out it’s cheaper because they provide less or low quality services.
Hopefully Silhouette will get this mess cleaned up quick, but I’m not holding my breath.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Posts: 6,191
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on May 29, 2024 16:32:05 GMT
I better not go check it out because I'm already raging about internet stuff today and this might push me over the edge. ![](http://i1168.photobucket.com/albums/r481/2peasrefugees/Smilies/roflmao.gif) It’s definitely pushed me over the edge. My DH just got out of the hospital on Monday, and I’m a bit of a basket case, anyway. I have a bunch of credits that I need to use before the 30th, or I’ll lose them. If they are lost, I will be really upset. I’ve emailed Silhouette about this, but their customer service via email is crappy, and I think they got rid of the chat function, which used to actually give you decent support.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Posts: 6,191
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on May 29, 2024 16:16:39 GMT
Thanks. I will check to see if it is in my files, even though it didn’t show that it had downloaded.
Edited to add: Nope. It didn’t download to either my downloads folder or my software.
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
![*](//storage.proboards.com/forum/images/stars/star_green.png)
Posts: 6,191
Jun 29, 2014 18:58:47 GMT
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Post by scrapnnana on May 29, 2024 14:38:31 GMT
I “bought” the free file and can’t see any way to download it. The site used to work great, but in their efforts to make it fresh and new, it doesn’t work. I have credits that I may potentially lose because their site is crap. It takes forever to load any option that I click, and it won’t let me download anything.
Anyone else having issues?
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