

Make and Design with Carina Gardner
Carina Gardner
Carina Gardner, Ph.D. unravels the everyday joys and dilemmas of design, making, and business. This inside scoop into fabric design, paper design, die cut design, and crafting will help bring more creativity and joy in your life. Carina Gardner is the founder and CEO of the University of Arts & Design. She was the Creative Director of Cartabella Paper Co. and MiniLou. She has designed everything from dishware, sewing patterns to bracelets under her brand. She currently designs fabric for Riley Blake Designs and die cutting files for Silhouette while teaching other designers how to create meaningful businesses with their design work.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 13, 2022 • 5min
Episode 168 Is Surface Pattern Design Recession Proof?
Concerns over a possible upcoming recession are often brought up by designers and business owners. However, Carina believes that being a designer is recession proof because designers often possess a number of different skills. This episode breaks down how you can diversify your offerings and ways to make money so you can easily pivot and win. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jul 11, 2022 • 8min
Episode 167 How to Be A Surface Pattern Designer Without Going Back To College
While Carina may encourage younger people to go back to college to get their design degree, going back to college may not make sense for those that are in other stages of life. In this episode, Carina explains why a focused concentration in the areas of knowledge you need to actually become a designer is key. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jul 8, 2022 • 19min
Episode 166 What is Coming To Design Suite in August 2022
Carina has been dedicated to creating the most fluid and comprehensive surface pattern and crafting design program out there. Learn about what is new in her Design Suite program because the August release is going to be a big one! Along with a handbook and all 17 courses, there is a brand new awards system! Learn more in this episode for designers who know they have something missing and are struggling to make money. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jul 6, 2022 • 13min
Episode 165 Why Surface Pattern Designers Don't Need a Portfolio
In this Episode Carina explains why Surface pattern Designers don’t need a portfolio. She also discusses the difference between a Collection and a portfolio. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jul 4, 2022 • 11min
Episode 164 What Surface Pattern Design in 2022 Looks Like
Over the years, the design market has changed dramatically. Carina goes over some of those changes and why NOW is an amazing time to get into design. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jul 1, 2022 • 16min
Episode 163 How to Start Your Surface Pattern Design Business
Carina talks to people often about starting a surface pattern design business. If you need first steps because you are ready to jump into the field, you will love this episode! Be sure to take advantage of the checklist she offers as well! Details in the episode. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jun 29, 2022 • 9min
Episode 162 Summer Motivation for Designers and Cycles in Our Business
There are cycles in every business and Carina walks you through some of the cycles in the design world. For surface pattern and craft designers, it can be demotivating to see sales plummet so tune in to learn more as Carina normalizes these cycles so you can move forward as a designer. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jun 27, 2022 • 13min
Episode 161 Why Your Designs Aren't Selling
Designers can get frustrated as they see sales on design work plummet. So what is going on? Carina goes through possible reasons your designs aren’t selling. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jun 24, 2022 • 9min
Episode 160 3 Ways Craft and Surface Pattern Designers Can Sell More of What They Already Have
In this episode, Carina talks about the three ways that surface pattern designers and craft designers can reuse what they already have to make money. These tips will help you through the summer season when sales are generally lower for designers. This is a not-to-be-missed episode for new designers! __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Jun 22, 2022 • 9min
Episode 159 Short Term Vs. Long Term Strategy for Surface Pattern and Crafting Designers
It’s time to strategize! In this episode, Carina talks about the value of short term vs. long term strategy for designers. With the right approach, designers can put a plan in place to make money consistently over the long term. A comprehensive design strategy is the best way to make sure that you bring in income and build a successful business. __________ Download Carina’s free guide: The 7 Tips Nobody Will Tell You About Becoming a Surface Pattern Designer here: http://eepurl.com/dN2RcY __________ About Carina Gardner: Carina Gardner is a fabric designer, paper designer, and design educator who is passionate about helping other designers fulfill their creative dreams by teaching them her strategies for making money as a designer. She has a Ph.D. in Design and taught design at the University of Minnesota before starting Carina Gardner, Inc. Carina Gardner, Inc design brand has been featured in dish ware, holiday decor, sewing patterns, and more. Her exclusive Design Suite Program helps creatives make money designing as they learn to design. Her programs include Illustrator and Photoshop training, surface pattern design, paper design, Silhouette & Cricut file design, and running a design business. She started the Make and Design Podcast so that she could share inspiration, stories, and experiences about design and life with crafters and designers. Find out more at https://www.carinagardner.com Check out her most popular program Design Bootcamp here: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Watch this episode as a video at https://www.makeanddesign.com/ Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional


