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© 2026 Make and Design with Carina Gardner
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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.
587 Episodes
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Carina breaks down the 9 essential elements in The Anatomy of a Product That Sells and shows you how to elevate your design products. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional
Each spring, Carina conducts a “spring edit” across her shops. In today’s episode, she shares how she approaches it and what she chooses to do and not do to keep the process manageable. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional
Carina is currently teaching a Design Leadership class at the University of Arts & Design, which has prompted her to reflect on the lessons she has learned as a leader. Learn more in today’s episode. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional
Winning is rarely about talent, luck, or working more hours. In this episode, we break down the three things consistently happening behind the scenes for creatives and entrepreneurs who are actually moving forward and seeing results. Join Carina as she tells you what she is seeing from successful designers. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecour...
Most creatives think productivity comes from working harder or longer. In this episode, we flip that idea on its head. A defined design process is what creates clarity, momentum, and finished work you can actually use and sell. This episode is for designers, artists, and makers who feel scattered, overwhelmed, or stuck starting over every time they sit down to create. Links to help new designers: University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education What’s New: https://www.carinagardner...
Carina’s guest Elizabeth Chappell is the founder of Quilter’s Candy. She helps creatives write sewing patterns and build their businesses. She talks about the pivots she made in her business and how she has simplified to make more. Learn more about Elizabeth: Website: https://quilterscandy.com/ Waitlist for Quilt Pattern Writing Course: https://quilterscandy.myflodesk.com/kickstart-event Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quilters_candy/ ___ Get Carina’s new bookThe Intentional Design...
Transformation is not just about changing habits. It is about changing how you see yourself. In this episode, we explore what real transformation actually requires and why most people struggle to become who they say they want to be. If you feel called toward a different version of yourself but are unsure how to get there, this episode will help you understand what needs to change first. Get Carina’s new bookThe Intentional Design Year here: Paperback: https://amzn.to/43XTRLG Hardback: h...
This is a transparent and reflective episode about what is truly happening behind the scenes at Design Suite and the University of Arts & Design. Carina talks honestly about growth, challenges, decisions, and the realities of building educational institutions and creative programs at scale. This conversation is for anyone building something meaningful who wants a realistic look at leadership, responsibility, and evolving vision. Get Carina’s new bookThe Intentional Design Year here:...
Owning a business is often portrayed as freedom, flexibility, and fulfillment, but the reality is more nuanced. In this episode, Carina talks honestly about what business ownership actually requires and why simplicity is often the missing ingredient. If you are running a business or thinking about starting one, this episode offers clarity without hype and truth without discouragement. Get Carina’s new bookThe Intentional Design Year here: Paperback: https://amzn.to/43XTRLG Hardback: htt...
Creativity often gets all the attention, but clarity is what actually moves ideas forward. In this episode, Carina explores why clarity matters more than creativity when you are building meaningful work, making decisions, and leading a business or creative practice. This episode is for designers, artists, and entrepreneurs who feel busy but unfocused and want a calmer, more intentional way to move forward. Get Carina’s new bookThe Intentional Design Year here: Paperback: https://amzn.to...
Designers often think they need more talent, better tools, or the perfect strategy. But what if the real issue is attention? In this episode, we explore why attention is one of your most limited creative resources and how splitting it between fear, comparison, and pressure quietly sabotages your work. Drawing from psychology and neuroscience, we talk about why mindset gets in the way of clarity, why overthinking blocks creative flow, and how focused making changes what you see and what you be...
Carina has fellow designer Lori Whitlock on to talk about Japan and design! Learn how both of us started our businesses! You can watch the entire episode at youtube.com/carinagardner. Get Carina’s new bookThe Intentional Design Year here: Paperback: https://amzn.to/43XTRLG Hardback: https://amzn.to/4isrefm Prompt Journal Paperback: https://amzn.to/4osha7J Prompt Journal Hardback: https://amzn.to/4rvrG0u Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Desig...
Carina walks you through simple ways to make goal planning productive. Sometimes we overcomplicate the process of creating goals and this episode makes it feel easy and fun! Get Carina’s new bookThe Intentional Design Year here: Paperback: https://amzn.to/43XTRLG Hardback: https://amzn.to/4isrefm Prompt Journal Paperback: https://amzn.to/4osha7J Prompt Journal Hardback: https://amzn.to/4rvrG0u Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Design Bootcamp: http...
Carina talks with Brenna Powell about lessons learned from Design Suite and now as a University of Arts & Design student. These are lessons every designer can relate to! Learn more about Brenna on all her feeds at crafting with brenna. Visit her website at https://craftingoverload.com/. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Design Bootcamp: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my fr...
Carina talks about her new book The Intentional Design Year released last month. She goes over how to use it and her free gift to you. Enjoy the digital version of the book for free for 1 month at https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional. You can also get The Intentional Design Year here: Paperback: https://amzn.to/43XTRLG Hardback: https://amzn.to/4isrefm Prompt Journal Paperback: https://amzn.to/4osha7J Prompt Journal Hardback: https://amzn.to/4rvrG0u Links to help new desig...
Carina opens up about where she has been, what her family does during the holiday season and more! If you like Carina’s personal antidotes on how she does her life, you will love this very Christmasy episode! Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Design Bootcamp: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional
Ever wonder what makes everyday creativity different from the genius of Picasso or Einstein? In this episode, I break down the Four-C Model of Creativity—Mini-c, Little-c, Pro-c, and Big-C—and explore how each level shows up in our lives. From the small insights that spark growth to the world-changing breakthroughs that leave a legacy, you’ll discover why all forms of creativity matter. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Design Bootcamp: http://www....
As the year comes to a close, Carina reflects on the loss of a few dear friends. Among them is the wonderful Lindsay Bowerman, a cherished member of the University of Arts & Design Advisory Council, whom Carina interviewed back in 2022. In this heartfelt episode, Carina shares her memories and revisits that special conversation with Lindsay. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Design Bootcamp: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp Universit...
Do you think AI can make you more creative? Actually, according to a new study, AI can enhance individual creativity. The side effect? It reduces novel ideas for society or entire groups. Learn more in today’s episode. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Design Bootcamp: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional
Carina talks about abundance and gratitude at this time of year. She also talks a little bit about a book she has been recently reading called The Art of Thinking Clearly by Rolf Dobelli and having a growth mindset. Links to help new designers: What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com Design Bootcamp: http://www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp University of Arts & Design: http://uad.education Get my free gift to you here: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional
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