Make and Design with Carina Gardner

Carina talks to Darrin Stern about H + H Americas and the craft industry. Learn more about how tradeshows are changing in the craft and quilting industry in today’s episode. Learn more at https://hh-americas.com/ Learn more about course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp at www.designsuitecourses.com...

Ready to start your design business? Carina talks about the seven unhinged things she did to get started and helped her win. Learn more about course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp Take the fun What Kind of Designer Are You? Quiz here: https://uad.educa...

Carina talks to fellow Riley Blake designer Liza Taylor about her membership, books, and foundational paper piecing blocks. Her sweet style and quilt block design will delight you! Learn more about Liza at https://lizataylorhandmade.com/ Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp...

The Etsy states from 2025 and 2026 will tell you a lot of about the state of the crafting industry and it’s not what you think. Carina shares the data and what it means for maker’s businesses. Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp...

Carina talks to Melodie Harding about her innovative stencils. Learn more about a business owner who is making her own designs, how she markets them, and what it takes to start a new business. Learn more about how she has mixed laser machines with quilting. Learn more about Melodie at https://sewharmony.com/ Use code: Carina20 for a discount off Melodie's products! Learn more about course, de...

Carina talks to Andover designer Amy Latta about her doodles, books, and more recent fabric collections. This is a cut from an hour-long interview Carina did with Amy for the University of Arts & Design’s DES 610 course. Learn more about Amy at https://www.amylattacreations.com/ Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Desi...

Today it’s about dishing the tea on Figma and the 18% Lie. Everyone assumes that AI is eating design jobs, but the data says otherwise. Learn more in today’s episode. Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp at www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp Get my free gift to you h...

Carina talks about the power of creating your own fresh start. Jumping into something new requires several “new” things including environment, objects, and people. Learn more about how to create your own fresh start in today’s episode. Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp a...

Carina talks to Art Gallery Fabric designer Brooke Shankland about her collaborative design group, quilt design, and so much more. This is a cut from an hour-long interview Carina did with Brooke for the University of Arts & Design’s DES 610 course. Learn more about Brooke at https://eudaimoniastudio.com/ Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the Un...

What is your ‘blue bowl’? The thing that makes your design or art business unique and memorable? Carina talks about how you should be creating your ‘blue bowl’ business so that people know exactly what you offer and where to find you. Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp at...

Carina talks to Craft Alliance Industry Founder Abby Glassenberg about starting an association, the benefits it offers, and business advice to new business owners. This is a cut from an hour-long interview Carina did with Abby for the University of Arts & Design’s DES 610 course. Learn more about the Craft Alliance Industry at https://craftindustryalliance.org Learn more about this course, deg...

Carina has been quilting a lot recently and has been reflecting on the parts of sewing she doesn’t really love and how it relates to the parts of a design business that are hard to do…not because they are undoable but because they are boring. Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Boo...

Have you ever made a charm bracelet too fill, too big, or too tight? Carina talks about how building a charm bracelet is a lot like building your art or design business. Learn more in today’s jewelry inspired episode!  Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Join a Design Bootcamp at www.designsuite...

Carina talks to fellow Riley Blake fabric designer Jill Finely. Learn how Jill works in fabric, retreats, notions, and so much more! This is a cut from an hour long interview Carina did with Jill for the University of Arts & Design’s DES 610 course. Learn more about Jill at https://www.jillilystudio.com/ Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the Uni...

Carina hosts Amy Smart for an indepth interview on starting and running a business for her DES 610 Creative Perspectives Course. This is a 15 minute cut from that interview for you to learn more about Amy and how to be brave. Learn more about Amy at https://www.diaryofaquilter.com/ Learn more about this course, degrees, and our new Continuing Education Program at the University of Arts & Desig...

Carina has never believed in waiting until you feel ready. In this episode she talks about learning by doing, and why the creatives who just start making things beat the ones who wait until they think they know enough. Design Bootcamp: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp University of Arts & Design: https://uad.education/ Get my free gift to you here:  https://www.designsuitecour...

There's an old Aesop fable about an old trout, a young trout, and a salmon. In this episode Carina connects it to where designers really are with AI right now, and what it means for anyone deciding whether to adapt. Design Bootcamp: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp University of Arts & Design: https://uad.education/ Get my free gift to you here:  https://www.designsuiteco...

Carina didn’t start out with a desire to become a designer. In this episode she walks through the lucky coincidences and tiny decisions that changed her whole direction, and why the path almost never looks like you think it will.  Design Bootcamp: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/designbootcamp University of Arts & Design: https://uad.education/ Get my free gift to you here:  https://www.des...

Is design still worth it? Is AI about to take it all? Carina pulled some research along with her own AI experience to tell you what the state of the industry looks like right now. In this episode she breaks down what the research really says about design and business, where AI fits, and why the designers who get it are about to pull way ahead. Design Bootcamp: https://www.designsuitecourses.com/de...

Carina Gardner caught up with Julianna Hukill at H+H Americas in Chicago. Julianna is an MFA student at the University of Arts & Design, and she is bringing scrapbooking ideas into the quilting world. At the show she shared her new book written for quilters and showed off her 3D printed quilt blocks. She has been building a real design business while she earns her degree. In this episode, Juli...

Carina shares some of her thoughts from the Creator Studio at H + H Americas in Chicago May 2026. Learn more about the craft industry and university updates! Learn more about the University of Arts & Design at www.uad.education Get my free gift to you here:  https://www.designsuitecourses.com/intentional

Carina Gardner sits down with Barbie Mills, founder of the Quilting Mill, at H+H Americas 2026 in Chicago. Barbie has been longarm quilting since 2012 and designs modern digital pantographs for computerized longarm quilters. She sells her designs to quilters around the world and teaches pantograph design. She is also an MFA student at the University of Arts & Design. In this episode, Barbie ta...

Join Carina today in this special episode where she talks about the 3 Gaps for designers, the three things no one tells you, and the research behind design and business education. Furthermore, Carina interviews graduate Katie Winn who talks about her experiences at the University of Arts & Design. Learn more about UAD's degrees and certificates at www.uad.education.  Get my free gift to y...

Be wary of anyone who gives you a strategy and tells you it always works because if there is one thing Carina has learned it is that everything changes. Today Carina is at the H + H Show and she talks about the evolution of shows during her time in this business and changes she continues to see in the design and art industries.  What’s New: https://www.carinagardner.com University of Arts & De...

Pulled from our March Sweet Life of A Designer Summit, this youtube live features some of our presenters “Favorite Books.” Watch the full video at https://www.youtube.com/live/JW9JZz5XRns?si=S08Bn_KfCgRMtJM3 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