Topic: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

I have a new computer and now my Craft Artist 2 Professional will not open is says that there is no skin file. I don't know what to do and would appreciate any suggestions. I miss this program so much and used it every day. Since we don't have any disk for the program. I don't know how to get it work again. When I try to open it, I get a popup that says to insert the disk for the program. Any help would be appreciated.
Ann

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

I don't know if this would be of any use to you Annie. I think you maybe able to download your program from here.

https://community.serif.com/tutorials/d … it-content

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Albert Ross wrote:

I don't know if this would be of any use to you Annie. I think you maybe able to download your program from here.

https://community.serif.com/tutorials/d … it-content

You beat me to it, Albert! I was just about to post the same link.

@anniesews: Welcome, Ann, and thank you for joining us here. https://punster.me/images/smile.gif

Please make sure to keep a copy of the downloaded installer file somewhere safe (e.g. on an external hard drive) in case you need it again at a later date. I don’t know what arrangements, if any, are being made to maintain the availability of installer downloads on the Serif site after CommunityPlus closes just over four months from now.

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

I too had to have a complete new computer and lost my Craft Artist. Have the original professional disc but was advise not to use it.
Have done a trail with Affinity, could not make heads or tails of it. Designed more for a more professional graphic designer and not craft users
Totally unsure what to do next, what programmes do card makers use for the loads of digi kits??
Thanks

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

LindyB wrote:

I too had to have a complete new computer and lost my Craft Artist. Have the original professional disc but was advise not to use it.

Welcome, Lindy! Who advised you not to use the original CA Pro, and why? It obviously doesn’t have any of the features that were added in version 2, but it’s still a very capable program.

I can provide you with a download link for the CA2 installer if you don’t have a copy of it, but that would only be of use to you if you still have your product key. If you don’t have access to a product key, you won’t be able to install the product.

Affinity Designer can be used for card making, but it doesn’t have punches, stencils, or ‘intelligent’ photo frames. It also can’t read Digikit files, so you would need to export (to JPEG or PNG) any kit elements that you want to use.

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Hi,
The shop were I purchased the computer advised that it would corrupt the computer. Tried Affinity, not for me.
I have the original Craft Artist Professional disc, tried to use it in my new computer.
Is it a case of the computer shop not adding on something. I had told him that I use the computer for digi crafting & showed him examples of what I use.

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

LindyB wrote:

The shop were I purchased the computer advised that it would corrupt the computer.

Well, that’s an odd one! I can’t imagine what they meant.

LindyB wrote:

I have the original Craft Artist Professional disc, tried to use it in my new computer.

Tried and failed? If so, what problems did you encounter, and what error messages did you get?

LindyB wrote:

Is it a case of the computer shop not adding on something.

As far as I’m aware, a modern Windows PC should have everything you need for running CraftArtist.

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Thanks to Alfred's help, I'm back up and running on a donated laptop, after a house fire in August of 2023.  The computers all had to go to the nearest landfill, but the software survived....just in storage, until the house is rebuilt. A neighbor was kind enough to give me an older, but still serviceable laptop, running Win-11. I downloaded and reinstalled CA2 this morning (along with PPX8 and WPX8) a few days ago, from the salvaged hard drive, that came from one of the computers that went to the landfill. I already have the Affinity Publisher in a Mac, and have to reinstall Affinity Publisher and Designer on the laptop, if I want to use them.  But, I'm quite happy to have CA and PPX8 as my go-to tools, until I can get back into the former home, sometime late this year.

Good to see some familiar names here, and thanks so much for the help Alfred. You da man!!!

Just a little bit of paradise, in NW Arkansas

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Pilotlon wrote:

Good to see some familiar names here, and thanks so much for the help Alfred. You da man!!!

Good to see you here, Lon, and thanks for your kind words!

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

The Plus series are like old shoes....so comfortable. I had not worked with CA in over a year....perhaps two. And, hadn't used PP in over a year.  No particular reason. Just no projects. However, with the house fire, and with the need for some extensive record keeping of the rebuild progress, I needed some forms that were simply not available to me. And, I also got very much hooked on Bullet Journaling.  Then, with some need to document and memorialize personal events, I found a sudden need for CA.  I found PP on the hard drive of the discarded Dell tower, but CA was nowhere to be found.  Now, in the space of just a couple of days, I'm back with old familiar software.  It's just the best, and I slammed together a CA sample layout today, just to prove that it could still be done.


https://i.postimg.cc/4mhN22yN/KS-Test-Image.jpg

Just a little bit of paradise, in NW Arkansas

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Pilotlon wrote:

Now, in the space of just a couple of days, I'm back with old familiar software.  It's just the best, and I slammed together a CA sample layout today, just to prove that it could still be done.


https://i.postimg.cc/4mhN22yN/KS-Test-Image.jpg

Very nice indeed, Lon. Thanks for sharing! https://punster.me/images/thumbup1.gif

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

It was just a first stab at reacquainting myself with CA. It seems ages. Well, I guess it's been ages.  When the ax fell on the Plus lineup, I guess I just moved on to different things. But, age has a way of making memorializing of events important.  Yvonne played at her first piano recital just a couple of weeks back.  She told me a story yesterday, of how her mother, when she was young and living in Southern California, would go to as many dance clubs as possible. At some point, she had occasion to dance with a young, up-and-coming singer by the name of Francis "Frank" Sinatra. No one knew of that story until just recently....long after Yvonne's mom had passed.

Well, I'm not sure that Yvonne's Grands and Great-Grands all know of her desire and ability to play the piano...especially in public. So, with CA, I told her that I want to make sure to capture some of those moments and activities.

This one's just a stock digikit, but it gets the job done. She's more brave than I am.  cool
https://i.postimg.cc/KkPptBzh/Show-Business.jpg

Just a little bit of paradise, in NW Arkansas

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Pilotlon wrote:

This one's just a stock digikit, but it gets the job done. She's more brave than I am.  cool
https://i.postimg.cc/KkPptBzh/Show-Business.jpg

She’s more brave than I am, too! Nicely “scrapped”.

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

That's a lovely page, Lon, and a lovely story. I've done a couple of public speaking events, work-related, and they were really scary so doing a piano recital is a great achievement.

I know what you mean about making memorials of events. I started on family tree research in summer last year. After a break for festive crafting and all that, I'm about to scramble back up into the branches again.

I've used CraftArtist to make up a photobook of old family photos found online in the Ancestry trees for my mother and her cousin.

I also use it for producing versions of my family tree to pass on to other family members. I'd rather not post an example as the pages have details of living family members so don't wish to invade their privacy.

However, I did get really excited when it looked as if an ancestor might have been a friend of King Richard III, and I made the following page for my own enjoyment. Alas, deeper investigation revealed at least a couple of disconnects, certainly at the supposed 'gateway ancestor' Mary Metcalf. https://punster.me/images/bigcry.gif My cousin in Australia has obviously just taken it for granted that other people have got it right, but now I'm in the process of checking every person I come across on 'hints' and many just do not gel. https://punster.me/images/unsure.gif

Still, it's keeping me out of mischief. https://punster.me/images/tongue.gif

https://i.postimg.cc/zHY1RpZK/Barsby-Metcalfe-Family-Tree-2.jpg

"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"
Death thought about it.
"Cats," he said eventually. "Cats are nice."
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

KarenPL wrote:

Still, it's keeping me out of mischief. https://punster.me/images/tongue.gif

That has to be the main thing, surely? https://punster.me/images/wink.gif

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Alfred wrote:
KarenPL wrote:

Still, it's keeping me out of mischief. https://punster.me/images/tongue.gif

That has to be the main thing, surely? https://punster.me/images/wink.gif

Yup! https://punster.me/images/biggrin.gif

"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"
Death thought about it.
"Cats," he said eventually. "Cats are nice."
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery

17 (edited by Pilotlon 2024-02-06 00:14:55)

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

How great is that, Karen!  Love it.  Yvonne and I are certainly not royalty. Nothing to pass down to those who may view all of this holographically some decades down the road. But, we've talked a lot about how we (the collective we) often don't assign personhood to our parents, and very rarely the Grand and Great-Grand parents. But, they had lives too, filled with fun and interesting things, and even the mundane. So, we're embarking on making a record, even of the silly and frivolous, so that her descendants can see that she was just an ordinary pirate....er....person, who loved to have fun. 

This is quickly done, as I reacquaint myself with CA.  She has a picture of her much younger self, kissing a cardboard cutout of Elvis. And, I have a picture of a very young Elvis playing touch football with a bunch of us kids, when I lived in Memphis many years ago.

Stay tuned for a "whole lot of shaking goin on!"   lol
https://i.postimg.cc/3y9H1vv4/Bella-Vista-Playtime.jpg

Just a little bit of paradise, in NW Arkansas

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Hey, Alfred....

Thanks so much for establishing this forum.  I had such fun yesterday, not only walking with Yvonne at the Bella Vista Blue Bird Trail Sculpture Walk https://www.bellavistaar.gov/news_detail_T2_R107.php, but then playing with Cutout Studio after the fact, to get the logo from the walk-side coffee shop, ready for the layout. That led me to remembering how to add in backgrounds and lettering. There's more experimentation to come there.

I really had forgotten what a marvelous piece of software CraftArtist is, and I'm thankful that we have this BB to continue to play with CA and display the things we are up to with it.

Very thankful this morning, Alfred. You're the best.

Just a little bit of paradise, in NW Arkansas

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Sheesh! Thanks for your kind words, Lon!! https://punster.me/images/blush.gif

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Hi again, Lon. Not got back to royalty personally as yet, but as I've always had a love of history since I was about 10 years old, and the late 15th century (War of the Roses) and the 16th century have always been  my preferred eras. It would be great if I could find ancestors who were involved in some of the events I have read about (and hopefully on the Yorkist side re the WOR https://punster.me/images/whistling.gif) but I suspect this is a new interest that can carry on indefinitely.

Another beautiful page, and I agree, CraftArtist really is a very great piece of software, allowing someone like me and you to come up with our own unique pieces of work. I do a lot more hands-on crafting nowadays, but do return to CA every so often to produce something that I can send online.

And also like you, I too am really pleased that Alfred has taken the time and effort to bring us this forum. Really appreciated, Alfred. https://punster.me/images/thumbup1.gif

"I meant," said Ipslore bitterly, "what is there in this world that truly makes living worthwhile?"
Death thought about it.
"Cats," he said eventually. "Cats are nice."
Terry Pratchett, Sourcery

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Thanks, Karen. I greatly appreciate the support of all the regular visitors here.

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

22 (edited by Pilotlon 2024-02-07 13:02:34)

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

We went over to the Cooper Chapel this afternoon....a 67 degree (F) day. Even though the trees are bare, the chapel is always welcoming. https://www.cooperchapel.com/. I used the Sketch Me app from the Play Store, to make the background from a phone camera shot of the interior.


https://i.postimg.cc/KRwywG7Z/That-Special-Day-with-transparency.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/hzhHj9sN/cooperchapel-f.jpg
https://i.postimg.cc/HJ3rHCvB/Cooper-Chapel2-f.jpg

Just a little bit of paradise, in NW Arkansas

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Hi Alfred
The program did work with the download ,now I put it on and its crashing again .
https://i.postimg.cc/q668yX3p/Program-pic.jpg
The pic i circled is the program that is the one I have been using

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

ChantelK wrote:

Hi Alfred
The program did work with the download ,now I put it on and its crashing again .
https://i.postimg.cc/q668yX3p/Program-pic.jpg
The pic i circled is the program that is the one I have been using

Thanks for joining us here, Chantel!

I’m a little confused by your saying it’s crashing “again”. I thought it was CA2 (which is the program circled in the picture you posted) that was crashing before, prompting you to ask if I could help you reinstall the previous version. Is your newly installed copy of version 1 also crashing now?

“Within you, there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself.”
― Hermann Hesse

Re: Serif Craft Artist 2 Professional

Hi Alfred sorry to cause problems the one I circled is the one I had the one with the 4 is the one I got from you ,that one wont open .Should i uninstall all and take them right off .Sorry I dont even know which actualy worked .I have confused myself too. It would have been easy if I could put my disc in but new computer does not have a disc . Can you give me a step by step what do do sorry again . Chantel