Meet our featured artist of the week: Carina Gardner!

Carina has a Ph.D. in Design from the University of Minnesota. The Carina Gardner brand has been on dishware, jewelry, prints, clocks, sewing patterns, fabric, and holiday products. Carina was the Creative Director of Carta Bella Scrapbook papers. Her kids brand Mini Lou has sold products for Nordstrom and over 500 independent retailers.

Carina is the CEO of Design Suite, a design program that teaches designers how to make money as they learn to design. She is also the Founder and CEO of the University of Arts & Design, for Masters degree and design certificate students. Her Make and Design Podcast teaches aspiring designers how to make the transition from hobbyist to profitable designer.

How long have you been a Silhouette user?

Almost from the very beginning. I taught a really early Illustrator class when Silhouette was QuickCutz.

How would you describe yourself as an artist? What’s your creative style?

I think my style is fresh, practical, and feminine. I love things that are ladylike so you will see that infused with my work. As far as practicality, I think that I like projects that really DO something for a holiday or creates an ambiance.

Tell us about your artistic career. How did you get your start?

I have a Ph.D. in Design from the University of Minnesota and decided to go into business for myself when I finished. So I jumped into the craft world first with digital scrapbooking, then scrapbooking (My Mind’s Eye), and then fabric (Northcott). After those initial contracts, I got interested in die cut files and joined Silhouette, became the Creative Director for Cartabella paper and joined Riley Blake for fabric.

All of those things helped me see how. To run a business, the obstacles, and how I wanted to create a creative life for myself. Through all of this, I started a design business program called Design Suite and in 2024 I founded a private university for artists and designers called the University of Arts & Design.

When did you start designing files for the Silhouette Design Store?

Oh my goodness! I had to literally go look in my shop to see…but it looks like I put in my first design 30 September 2013. So I have been in the store about about 11 1/2 years.

What is the design you’re proudest of?

Probably the Christmas Village I initially did for the Silhouette store. It was a lot of work getting something like that together but it’s popularity continues to this day.

Where do you find creative inspiration?

Family and holidays. I also love making really BIG projects like the Trio of Stacked Nutcracker boxes I did for Christmas.

How do you overcome creative blocks?

I really don’t have creative blocks much. I almost have opposite problem in that I have so much going on that carving out time just to design is very difficult. 

What’s your favorite thing about what you do?

Also the simple joy in designing. Doing the actual creative work and coming up with new ways to do things with the Silhouette machine.

What advice do you have for artists just starting out?

It’s hard work but so worth it. Artists have such a gift for ideation. Great execution and implementation can be daunting but with great business acumen, there is a lot we can do as artists! The artists and designers I talk to often just lack the education and resources for creating a business that actually works.