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© 2025 Make and Design with Carina Gardner
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Carina Gardner 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 has a Ph.D. in Design and was the Creative Director of Cartabella Paper Co. and MiniLou. She has designed everything from dishware to bracelets under her brand. She currently designs fabric and die cutting files while teaching other designers how to create meaningful design work while making a residual income online.
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Tired of feeling like no one sees your work? In this episode, Carina Gardner reveals the three essential marketing layers every creative needs to get noticed, build an audience, and turn followers into customers. Simple, actionable steps to make sure you’re no longer invisible in your industry. Learn more about Carina at www.carinagardner.com.
Think you’ve missed your chance to become a designer? Think again. In this episode, Carina Gardner breaks down why it’s never too late to start a design career, the surprising advantages of starting later in life, and the exact steps to get moving now. Whether you’re 25 or 65, your creative future starts today. Learn more about Carina at www.carinagardner.com.
Balancing diapers and deadlines isn’t easy, but it’s possible—and even rewarding. In this episode, Carina Gardner shares how she built a thriving design business while raising kids at home. From time management hacks to mindset shifts, you’ll hear the strategies that kept her creative career moving forward without sacrificing family. Learn more about Carina at www.carinagardner.com
In this heartfelt episode, Carina Gardner shares the advice she wishes she could give her younger creative self—back when she was just starting out, full of passion but unsure of the path ahead. She opens up about the lessons she’s learned along the way, from embracing imperfect work and letting go of the pressure to be “ready,” to the importance of charging what you’re worth and adopting a business mindset early. Carina reflects on how building a successful design career wasn’t about having ...
Carina dives into a question that affects every artist and designer at some point: Why does creative potential suffer—even when we’re passionate, talented, and full of ideas? Carina unpacks the hidden barriers that often hold creatives back—like perfectionism, comparison, fear of failure, and the pressure to “do it all.” Drawing from her own journey as a designer, entrepreneur, and educator, she offers practical insights into how to protect and nurture your creativity over time. Listeners wil...
In this practical and empowering episode, Carina Gardner tackles one of the biggest challenges new designers face: pricing your work when you're just starting out. Carina walks listeners through the mindset shifts, mistakes to avoid, and strategies that helped her go from undercharging to building a profitable design business. She shares honest insights about how to set your prices with confidence—even if you're not sure what your work is worth yet—and why charging too little can actually slo...
In this dynamic episode, Carina Gardner sits down with designer and entrepreneur Vincent Wanga for an inspiring conversation about what it really takes to lead in the creative world—starting right now. Together, they explore the key leadership and business-building skills every designer can begin practicing today, regardless of experience. From communicating with confidence to making strategic decisions as a creative business owner, Carina and Vincent break down what leadership looks like whe...
Carina knows in just a few sentences whether a designer is going to be profitable or not. Learn how she assesses a designer’s profitability in today’s episode. ___________________________ About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design program that teaches designers how to create a business as the...
Are you a new designer finding the road a bit bumpy? Carina shares three common mistakes she sees new designers make—and how to fix them. These simple solutions can help you build a more successful design business! ___________________________ About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design program...
2025 has been an interesting year for designers. Carina works with hundreds of creatives through her university and Design Suite programs, giving her a front-row seat to what’s actually working right now. Learn more in today’s episode. ___________________________ About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and cra...
What’s the difference between someone with a hobby and someone who wants a business from the thing they love? Carina shares the mindset shift you need to turn your design skills into cash. ___________________________ About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design program that teaches designers how...
Want to become a graphic designer and work from home? In this episode, Carina shares the two paths she took to build a successful design career—while also staying home to raise her kids. Discover how she made it work, what she would do differently, and how you can start your own journey as a work-from-home designer. ___________________________ About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the...
In today’s episode, Carina and her event coordinator Sarah have a fun, honest, and laughter-filled conversation about the University of Arts & Design, family, and work. Watch the full episode on youtube at www.youtube.com/carinagardner. About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design p...
Pull the Weeds, Water the Roots, and so much more! Carina gives her 10 tips for how to grow a business that lasts. These gardening tips will help you remember what you need to do to help sustain your design business even when things get tough. About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design progr...
Carina explores the tricky balance between creativity and self-promotion. Carina dives into real stories, practical strategies, and expert insights to help designers market themselves without compromising their artistic integrity. About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design program that tea...
In this heartwarming episode, Carina sits down with her daughter Felicity for a candid chat about growing up with a mom who is a designer and business owner. From behind-the-scenes family moments to design inspiration, this mother-daughter duo dishes the tea on creativity, life, and everything in between. Don’t miss this special glimpse into their world! Full episode available on youtube.com/carinagardner. About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Desi...
Right now is the best season for designers to really bulk up their sales. As we prepare for the coming season we need to act more like the ant than the grasshopper in Aesop’s Fable. Learn more about how you can really prepare for winter (literally). About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design...
This is a recap of the Design Business Conference we held at Ashton Gardens in Lehi Utah in March 2025. The original video can be found at youtube.com/carinagardner. Learn more about what we do in our live events! About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and crafting design program that teaches designers how...
Do you feel like you are drowning in your design business? Carina uses one way to make sure that she doesn’t spend every day putting out fires in her business. Instead she focuses on the things that are the most important. Use her tactic for getting organized! About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and cra...
Carina sits down with daughter Felicity to talk about growing up with a creative business household. Learn some of the sassy and sweet things Carina’s 17 year old has to say about design and business. This episode was originally aired on youtube.com/carinagardner. About Carina Gardner, Ph.D.: Carina is the CEO of the University of Arts & Design. The university offers certificates and Masters degrees in the creative fields. Carina is also the CEO of Design Suite, a surface pattern and ...
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