Building Resilience As A Designer

Resilience is a key attribute of a design business owner. Learning a new skill takes time, and for new designers it can be hard to be patient.

I remember my early years as a designer. I was impatient when I didn’t get the contract or shop I wanted. “No” was something I got used to hearing.

For new designers who are just getting started, normalize “no.” Continue forward by making your design work better and learning what kinds of designs the marketplace needs.

Your style will develop over time and your designs will be unique to you. Let the process be a teacher for you.

If you are looking for more information on design strategy, come join me in a Design Bootcamp!

To hear more about building resilience as a designer, listen to episode 171 on our podcast here:

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Create This Vinyl Dragon Wall Art

Make this Vinyl Dragon Wall Art piece using just a few basic crafting items. This is a simple project but creates quite a fun conversation piece.

Here’s What You Need:

  • Silhouette or Cricut Machine (or any other machine you may have like a Cameo)
  • Vinyl (I recommend temporary vinyl)
  • Cutting mat
  • Wizard and Witch zip file (provided)
  • Frame
  • Cutting tool
  • Transfer paper

Get Past Bundles for only 9.99 @carinagardnershop or Subscribe Ink Club Monthly for only $4.99 @InkClub

Watch the tutorial here:

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8 Things You Must Have to Be A Designer

Today, I’m going to cover the eight things you must have to be a designer. These things range from physical tools all the way to mindset.

The 8 Things You MUST Have to Be A Designer

  1. A COMPUTER | Clearly, you will need to start with something to design on. Specifically, you need a computer with a lot of memory to run your software. Both PCs and Macs are great for designers.
  2. DESIGN SOFTWARE | I recommend the Adobe software since it is the standard for professional designers.
  3. DESIGN THEORY | The third thing you need is a basic understanding of design principles. A basic understanding of design principles and how to talk like a designer will move you forward as you talk to clients and create artwork.
  4. SALES | It isn’t much of a design business without sales. So find a place to sell your work. Look for physical manufacturers and online venues to sell your products.
  5. DESIRE TO BECOME THE BEST | Desiring to become a better designer is a true gift. Things change in the design work often. If you can pivot with the market trends your adaptive business will grow quickly.
  6. PRODUCTION | An in-depth knowledge of production is key for a professional designer. If you are not getting your designs to the manufacturer, creative director, or shop in the correct format, your chances of getting more opportunities decreases substantially.
  7. THINK LIKE A DESIGNER | You also need the ability to think like a designer. Find the shapes, draw from inspiration, and think the way a designer does.
  8. ENDURANCE| Owning a design business requires heart and time. There are a lot of designers, however, the ones that have successful businesses are the ones that endure. They produce everyday. They do the boring everyday things that make their businesses run.

Do you want to learn more about how to increase your skills and earning potential? If so, come join me in  a Design Bootcamp!

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Make Some Wizard and Witch Heat Transfer Pillows

Create these Wizard and Witch Heat Transfer pillows for yourself or the wizard or witch  in your life. This easy project can add a fun, comforting touch to a couch, chair, or bed.

Here’s What You Need:

  • Silhouette or Cricut Machine
  • Vinyl
  • A piece of fabric or towel (if need for heat pressing)
  • Cutting mat
  • Wizard and Witch zip file (provided)
  • Pillow
  • Iron
  • Cutting tool
  • Transfer paper

Get Past Bundles for only 9.99 @carinagardnershop or Subscribe Ink Club Monthly for only $4.99 @InkClub

Watch the tutorial here:

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Framed Wizard and Witch Vinyl Art

Create these Framed Wizard and Witch Vinyl art pieces for the wizard and/or witch fan in your life.  This artwork makes a great addition to living spaces or bedrooms. All of the files can also be used on cards, heat transfer, or in paper.

Here’s What you need:

  • Silhouette or Cricut Machine
  • Vinyl
  • Paper (if needed in addition to the vinyl)
  • Cutting mat
  • Wizard and Witch Vinyl Art zip file (provided)
  • Frame
  • Transfer paper
  • Cutting tool

Get Past Bundles for only 9.99 @carinagardnershop or Subscribe Ink Club Monthly for only $4.99 @InkClub

Watch the tutorial on YouTube:

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3 Tacky Mistakes Surface Pattern and Craft Designers Make

Today, I’m going to break down three tacky mistakes surface pattern and craft designers make. Hopefully, this list will help you evaluate your own design work!

Mistake #1 Enlarged Designs

When designs are enlarged, the negative space and shapes are visually different. Since most of my designs fit on an 8.5 x 11” sheet of paper, I am designing for a “letter” size. Once designers enlarge a design, you need to adjust type, shape sizes, and more. Keep an eye on anything that looks inappropriate!

Mistake #2 Oversaturated Colors

Oversaturated colors are an amateur mistake. While bright colors can be appealing, this is more about unintentionally oversaturating colors (think fluorescents). To avoid this, get a second set of eyes on your design work!

Mistake #3 Your Sizing Doesn’t Make Sense

This mistake happens because designers do not test patterns off the computer. A common mistake is overly large designs. Ultimately, these big designs are difficult to use for physical applications. To avoid making this mistake, print off designs to check their size.

I hope discussing these mistakes allows you to evaluate your designs.

If you want to learn more techniques for becoming a successful designer, join my upcoming Design Bootcamp!

To delve a bit deeper into the three tacky design mistakes, please listen to episode 169 on our podcast here:

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Create an Autumn Themed Card

Create this Autumn themed window card for someone you love! I love creating cards like this with my scraps of cardstock to cut out all of the tiny little details. This unique card design will impress anyone who receives it and it’s so much fun to put together. This project is great for all levels of crafters.

 

Here’s What You Need:

  • Silhouette or Cricut Machine
  • Silhouette or Cricut Cutting Mat
  • Assorted Cardstock or Cardstock Scraps
  • Gluestick
  • 3D Adhesive Tape
  • Autumn Card SVG Cut File (provided)

Get Past Bundles for only 9.99 @carinagardnershop or Subscribe Ink Club Monthly for only $4.99 @InkClub

 

Watch our YouTube video for the tutorial!

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Become a Brand Ambassador!

Are you interested in becoming a brand ambassador for Carina Gardner? We are super excited to announce that we have started our brand ambassador program!

What’s a Brand Ambassador?

Our Brand Ambassador is a program that allows anyone to have an affiliate link to share with others to join our Design Bootcamps!  You earn a 70% commission for each person that signs up for a Design Bootcamp using your unique link.

If a Design Bootcamp participant then signs up for Design Suite, we give our Brand Ambassadors the following:

  • Design Suite University: A $200 bonus after 90 days and the Rose Badge
  • Design Suite Mastermind: A $500 bonus after 90 days and the Rose Badge
  • Design Suite Elite: A $1000 bonus after 90 days and the Rose Badge

Where Can You Share Your Link?

You have several options to share. These include:

  • Direct email or text message to a design friend
  • An Instagram post
  • An Instagram story
  • Blog post on why you joined Design Bootcamp or Design Suite
  • Facebook

Authenticity really speaks to people, so we recommend sharing your experience in Design Bootcamp. Be open about your design journey, why you got started, and how the bootcamp or Design Suite program has benefited you.

Are You Ready to Sign Up?

Please go to https://www.carinagardnercourses.com/ambassador to sign up and get your unique link. Thank you for helping us build the best designers in the industry!

 

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Unboxing 2022 Sublimation Heat Press and Tumbler Press

 

Today I am unboxing at HeatPressNation CraftPro 15″ x 15″ Crafting Transfer Machine in Mint, HPN Signature Series 2-in-1 Automated Sublimation Mug and Tumbler Press, and accessories!

Here’s where to purchase all of these items (copy and paste the title into the search bar when you click here): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1137072&u=3278573&m=77504&urllink=&afftrack=

  • HPN Signature Series 2-in-1 Automated Sublimation Mug and Tumbler Press
  • HeatPressNation CraftPro 15″ x 15″ Crafting Transfer Machine
  • SubliCraft by HeatPressNation 16 oz. Stainless Steel Sublimation Skinny Tumbler
  • SubliCraft by HeatPressNation 16 oz. Stainless Steel Sublimation Skinny Tumbler
  • SubliCraft by HeatPressNation 20 oz. Stainless Steel Sublimation Skinny Tumbler with Straw – Glitter Silver
  • SubliCraft by HeatPressNation 20 oz. Stainless Steel Sublimation Skinny Tumbler with Straw – Glitter White
  • Pro Grade Non-Stick Parchment Paper for Apparel – 15″ Roll
  • Heat Tape for Sublimation Mugs and Tiles
  • Twincore Tape Dispenser

I have some great craft videos coming up with sublimation that I’m so excited to share! I’m making some fun things for friends, Halloween, and Christmas!

XOXO,

Carina

Some links on this site may be affiliate links. If you purchase a product using the link I may receive a small commission. I will only link to products I support and/or use personally. All opinions are truthful and my own.

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Is Surface Pattern Design Recession Proof?

The “R” word always makes people stressed out. And technically, with two quarters in an economic turn, we ARE in a recession.

Instead of worrying about what the economy looks like or the price of gas, I focus on what I can control and what skills will keep me relevant.

Over the last 14 year of owning my business, I have seen many ups and downs. Through it all this one little skill – DESIGN – has gotten me through it.

That is why I believe that being an excellent designer is a way to be recession proof and bring stability to your finances.

When the pandemic started in 2020, I wondered if my design business would come out okay. I remember writing a list of things I could do to supplement my income if earnings fell. Great design skills (and the ones I teach in Design Suite) can help me in ALL realms of design…not just paper and fabric as I am known for.

That’s why it’s not a leap to see one of my designers take a corporate job in design even if they are trained to become a surface pattern designer (and yeah, I have had this happen).

In fact, in Design Suite I created a Freelance Design Course so my designers have the skills and knowledge to pivot when needed and also be recession proof.

I can’t explain just how important becoming a designer has been to be creative and financially secure.

If you have wanted to create additional design skills, learn how to earn money, and you need a first step, enroll in one my Design Bootcamps to learn strategies I used to get started.

To learn more about why I believe that design is recession proof, listen to episode 168 on our podcast here:

 

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Unbox Designer Embroidery Award Program

Today I’m unboxing the new award system for Design Suite! We also just got a new case of our signature Design Suite Tote!

If you haven’t heard of my Design Suite program before, it’s the only design mastermind that teaches members how to make money as they learn how to design. It’s a year-long program with 17 courses (WHAT!) and weekly meetings to give our members one of a kind experience.

You can see most of what we do in Design Suite by going here: www.carinagardnercourses.com/designsuite.

You’ll notice on that page that there is no way to actually purchase Design Suite. That’s because we only open it up in Design Bootcamps.

I like to make sure that my Design Suite members understand what I teach and how we make money. We do that by having anyone interested go through a Design Bootcamp. In Design Botocamp, I teach our core principles, signature framework, and how to build residual income. I like to be realistic about the challenges and why the market isn’t as saturated as you think.

Learn more about a Design Bootcamp here:

www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp

Hope you like the awards! All of these awards are for our Design Suite Mastermind Program (other tiers may not be included in all of these things).

XOXO,

Carina

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How to Be A Surface Pattern Designer Without Going Back To College

I often get asked if going back to college is the best way to become a designer.

If a design degree is what you are seeking, I will always encourage people to get one if they would like it. However, if you are more interested in working as a designer, there are certainly ways to bypass the college process.

In fact, this is precisely why I created Design Suite program.

So, let’s quickly talk about the college programs. If you have been to a typical four year college, the first two years are usually dedicated to prerequisite courses like math and english. The last two years are generally focused on the degree specific courses. When I taught design at the University of Minnesota, course work included foundational classes, packaging design, typography, color theory, and more.

Part of the reason we teach a wide variety of theoretical design classes at a university is to make sure students are getting a well-rounded education. If you are someone who wants that, a university degree is a great solution for you.

If you are more interested in digging in and designing now, then learning via online courses and programs is the best way to move forward. Many designers who want a more niched route are looking at becoming Cricut designers, surface pattern designers, sticker or printable designers, or another niche market.

So, do you need a design degree to become a designer? No. You do, however, need the right tools and knowledge. There are many online programs and courses that can help get you there.

Are you interested in maybe something in between University coursework but, at the same time, learning to design now to make money? My Design Suite was built to be the middleground between University level course work (niched down to teach practical tips) and business (learn to design for shops and making money while in the one year program).  You can learn more in a  Design Bootcamp! In these bootcamps, we provide some useful tips and discuss the Design Suite program in greater detail.

If you want to learn more about how to become a surface pattern designer without going back to college, listen to the Podcast Episode 167 here:

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Want to listen to the Make and Design podcast? Find it anywhere you listen to podcasts including iTunes, Spotify, and Google!

Link to listen directly on iTunes here: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/make-and-design-with-carina-gardner/id1573922271?i=1000575354808

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How to Create Wizard and Witch Cricut Projects

Want to create something fun with your Cricut and Silhouette machines? Check out our Ink Club membership!

Our bundle club is only $4.99 for our gorgeous set of files all inspired by Harry Potter for Witch and Wizard month.

Join the app to this month’s download. Past bundles available at carinagardner.com for $9.99

Join the App for free here:: https://ink-club.passion.io/

We can’t wait to see what you make!

Silhouette Design Store JOANN Stores

What is Coming To Design Suite in August 2022

If you’re familiar with my blog or podcast, you have heard me mention Design Suite. Here’s a little more info on my signature design program.

I only open up the Design Suite program in Design Bootcamps. It is set up this way because it is incredibly important for designers to understand the strategies involved, best practices for selling designs, and what holes are missing in their design businesses.

As designers, it is easy to get excited about the creative work. This is the “design” part of a “design business.” What is often missing is the “business” part.

This is why many designers never make any money.

One of the goals of Design Bootcamp is to start the education process of becoming a design business that understands what it takes to make money.

Design Bootcampers who understand the principles I teach and are ready to invest in creating a design business are invited into Design Suite.

So what happens in the Design Suite Mastermind? This one year membership includes 17 courses that are specifically meant for surface pattern designers and crafters. It also includes weekly meetings and community for support that actually moved your design business forward.

Some of the types of meetings you will experience in the program are Mentor Meetings, coaching sessions, peer led discussions, and guest expert meetings. We also meet quarterly in Virtual Conferences to stay up-to-date with trends and software changes.

What’s New in August 2022?

We are so excited to announce that we’ll be releasing a Design Suite Handbook in August 2022 for all Design Suite Mastermind members. This physical handbook will include things like roadmaps, cheat sheets for the courses, trackers, and worksheets.

We are also thrilled to be starting an awards system in August! These awards help celebrate all of the wins that are required to build a thriving design business.

More on Design Suite

To hear more about Design Suite, and the upcoming changes, check out the Podcast Episode 166 here:

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Join a Design Bootcamp to learn the first strategies and steps you need to get started at www.carinagardnercourses.com/designbootcamp.

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