Make and Design with Carina Gardner

Episode 587 Seven UnHinged Things I Did To Start A Design Business

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 ne

Episode 586 Foundational Paper Piecing and Fabric with Liza Taylor

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 de

Episode 585 The Homemade Rebellion

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 f

Episode 584 Laser Machines and Quilting with Melodie Harding

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

Episode 583 From Doodles To Design with Amy Latta

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 fo

Episode 582 Taste Is The Product

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. Le

Episode 581 Fresh Starts

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

Episode 580 Collaborative Design with Brooke Shankland

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 interv

Episode 579 Your Blue Bowl

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 s

Episode 578 Founding the Craft Industry Alliance with Abby Glassenberg

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

Episode 577 The Most Unglamorous Part of Sewing

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 a

Episode 576 Charm Bracelet Reflections

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.

Episode 575 Layers to a Fabric Business with Jill Finley

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 inter

Episode 574 Being Brave with Amy Smart From UAD's DES 610 Course

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 intervi

Episode 573 Learning By Doing

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

Episode 572 The Old Trout, The Young Trout, and the Salmon

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 w

Episode 571 The Series of Lucky Coincidences and Tiny Decisions That Led To Me Becoming A Designer

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,

Episode 570 Here What You Need To Know About the State of The Design Industry Right Now

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 r

Episode 569 How Julianna Hukill Combined Quilting and Scrapbooking

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

Episode 568 Broadcasting From H + H Americas

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