Hi! I’m Carrie, and I’m an illustrator, surface pattern designer and SkillShare Top Teacher.
I’m passionate about art, and I love teaching other artists.
I value community over competition, and my goal as an educator is to help other creatives find their creative voice, while discovering better ways to work.
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Student Testimonials
“I wish one of my professors in college had offered this advice !”
— Jennifer C.
“I have taken a lot of SkillShare classes, Carrie's rank at the top.”
— Kaye S.
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“This class really stands out, with a new method for making patterns that I love! Carrie's is a fantastic way to see what the whole pattern will look like while working, while not giving up all the pros of working in Illustrator. I also enjoyed how Carrie wove in organization tips throughout, and I liked that she demonstrated how she thinks about and makes the actual pattern -- other teachers tend to just show the mechanics of making the pattern, not how to think through making the pattern as well, so this was a step up and super helpful!”
Julia B.
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“This class just saved my sanity! Actions are explained in a simple, concise way and will be a game changer for me! Transform Move makes me crazy and now I can automate with keystrokes and work so much quicker making more complex patterns! YAY! I didn't know how much I needed this class! Please hurry up and make more classes."
Rebecca R.
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“I have been learning how to make patterns this year and have been struggling with the halfdrop. My patterns look a bit off when I repeat them and zoom out. I saw this pop up and was excited to see this method. It was super helpful! I never considered a wider artboard with quadrants. Carrie walks you though the exact steps to set up your template in Illustrator. She gives you the tools to play with your own patterns. Lots of good tips. I feel like I can just play now with my own motifs and have a more successful outcome when put into repeat. I've also never really used Photoshop when it comes to pattern making. I feel like it is a much easier way to really get an idea of your pattern when scaled at various sizes. In Illustrator, all those vectors can really slow you down. Thanks Carrie!”
Kim K.
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“This class really means a world of difference for any aspiring surface pattern designer or for those wishing to automate their workflow. Half-drop patterns look so much more professional and with Carrie's class it's a breeze to make them. Highly recommended!”
Irma S.
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“Thank you, Carrie! I enjoyed your generous and encouraging spirit, your class was filled with extremely helpful tips and info. I really appreciate the thourough resources provided along with the class - they will be invaluable to me moving forward. I also am grateful for ideas on how to expand my use of collections. Thanks again, and I can't wait for your next class.”
Karen A.
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“This was a wonderful class. I have watched many before but this was the most comprehensive of all everything related to Spoonflower. Thank you for putting this all together. It's a gem.”
T. Yilmaz
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“As a beginner, I'm so glad I stumbled upon Carrie's class before making hundreds of repeat patterns. I agree as Carrie said in the intro that this class is not for a total beginner who never used illustrator or made a pattern. But after you've made a few and understand how it works, this class is a must take for speeding up the process significantly. Before the class, I've spent my entire (albeit very short) pattern-making career typing "+1000" and "-1000". The actions are a game changer. Not to mention half drop patterns look so much better than regular blocks.”
Madeline W.
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“Carrie is an excellent teacher. The half-drop technique she shared is a game changer! Setting up the actions will save SO much time! Carrie's presentation of information is clear and easy to follow. Thank you!!”
Ann S.
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“Carrie teaches a valuable class for learning the ins and outs of setting up ones shop. There are tips that Carrie gives that clarify scale and resolution that have been a game changer for me. The lessons are easy to follow and paced well. Loved it!”
Julie B.
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“This class is so helpful and I learned (or was reminded) about so many great tips for selling and engaging on Spoonflower from uploading, Adobe Illustrator, organization, tag, data, scale, and community building TIPS and so much more! I love Carrie's delivery, she was engaging and interesting. If you want to know about Spoonflower, TAKE THIS CLASS!”
Rebecca R.
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“As of today, I have 286 designs for sale on Spoonflower, and I still feel like I'm just getting started. But I have to admit it: I didn't expect to receive so many great insights!!! It was a mix of emotions as I watched the entire class in one go: scared by the number of mistakes I was making, embarrassed, but now, more than anything, motivated to work with a solid foundation to build upon. Of course, the work is really long, but I see it as more concrete now. Thanks, Carrie! Can't wait for other classes on this topic.”
Madda M.
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“This was such a helpful class for anyone learning illustrator. It took some time to learn the action steps, but the time investment was well worth it because I can see using this on all my patterns going forward! Great job Carrie!”— Jill T.
Jill T.
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“This class came just in the nick of time. I had so many questions as I started to gather patterns for my first Fill a Yard. So many questions about scale. And they were all answered. Honestly, this has saved me so much time and frustration in getting up to speed on Spoonflower. Thank you for being so generous with your information and resources.”
Sandra S.
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“Carrie's class was the perfect dose of tips and tricks for my new Spoonflower shop. I am so excited to try the fill a yard with new patterns for proofing and engaging in the SF community and design challenges. I expect to use the free bundles- amazing bonus- and all the information is so well thought out and useful. THANK YOU CARRIE! I am so grateful to have your wealth of experience and knowledge.”
Betsy D.
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“Thank you so much for this class! It's so full of tips and information . . . wow! I am just getting started with Spoonflower and I feel like I have enough information to make my shop more successful because of this class.”
Debbie M.
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“Getting started selling on Spoonflower can be a bit confusing. I’ve been on the site for about a year, and would have loved if this class was available when I was starting out. I was interested to see if there’s anything I could tweak with my processes, and I’ve picked up some excellent pointers. Thanks for a great overview of selling on Spoonflower!”
Kathryn M.
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“A great beginner class on how to make a half drop pattern manually, which is a great skill to have. I loved seeing Carrie's workflow.”
Dandi T.
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“Great class! I wished i'd had this when I first started my Spoonflower shop! Now to go back and edit :) Lots of great info and actionable steps. Thanks Carrie!”
Jacky H.
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“Carrie, you have a great voice and it’s so easy to understand. The class was really good and I have been on Spoonflower for some time now, so even though I knew a lot, I also learned a lot. I am totally addicted to pattern design and I use procreate on my iPad. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge.”
Marcia S.
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“I've been using the Spoonflower website for a while, and I was pleasantly surprised to learn so many things I wasn't aware of. Definitely worth taking for anyone using Spoonflower.”
Therese C.
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“I am not new to Spoonflower but Carrie explained so many things that I did not know! Wonderful class!”
Nancy K.
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“I have been on SF for about two years, not getting much traction. This class was chock full of so many insights in each lesson. I have made changes right away and going to watch again for the ones I may have missed. I learned more here than all of the SF symposiums I have watched. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!”
Suzanne W.
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“This was such a great class! Carrie has so much great info and helpful resources too. She explained things very well, is also super encouraging too and saved me a lot of time trying to figure out how to navigate Spoonflower like a pro.”
Rundi L.
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“I am completely new to this. I didn't know anything about Spoonflower and this class explained the process so well and had a lot of great tips. I am so excited (and less intimidated) to get started. Thank you!”
Tara P.
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“This class exceeded my expectations. Carrie's class has a lot of information and step-by-step instructions; all lessons were very well organized. I loved the resources included in the course. it is a course for all levels....even people who have been on Spoonflower for a while.”
Kathleen H.
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“Carrie is a very methodical teacher so it was easy to understand what to do and in what order. I especially loved creating automations and while I still try every one of the six before I find the one I want having them set up will make creating half-drop patterns so much quicker in the future! I'm not a beginner pattern designer, but have only been designing basic repeats so far. I was actually an Illustrator beginner at the start of the class though, but it was easy enough to find tutorials online for the more basic things so that I could follow Carrie. The class is really for people who do know their way around Illustrator at least a bit (as Carrie said in the beginning) but it's not so advanced that you can't catch up very quickly. I've been shown quite a few half-drop pattern methods recently, but this is by far my favourite one!”
Natalie C.
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“Great class. I've been on Spoonflower for a while but I picked up a lot of useful tips from this class and I will certainly now go back to my Spoonflower shop and make a few changes. Thank you Carrie.”
Anne M.
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“This class is super helpful for anyone who wants to sell their designs on Spoonflower. Practical, step-by-step examples for listing and marketing your designs. I took lots of notes and re-watched some lessons (rescaling designs, ordering a cheater quilt) because I'm new to Spoonflower. Before this class, I was totally winging it. Now I feel like I know what to do!”
Roberta B.
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“This class gives lots of useful information that you can implement. Her instructions are very clear and easy to follow.”
Rhonda A.
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“One of the best pattern design courses! I'm very addicted to pattern making and this class is very helpful in order to be able to work faster and more efficiently. Highly recommend!”
Dusica M.
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“I have taken a lot of SkillShare classes, Carrie Cantwell's classes rank at the very top for me. Regarding this specific class, I had no experience using Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop yet found following along no problem at all due to Carrie's style and clear explanations. If you have used other design software, you will likely adapt easily to Illustrator. I feel confident I can repeat the process and move forward in Surface Pattern Design. Carrie is a very generous educator, you will walk away with loads of valuable tips and resources to complement the subject.”
Kaye S.
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“Fantastic class! So much really useful information. I am new to pattern making but was able to follow along and build a pattern.”.
Lyndsay W
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“Thanks Carrie for a great class! Clear and concise with actionable steps. Many clarifications about how to navigate Spoonflower's amazing site are so very helpful. Thank you!”
Sally D.
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“This class was fantastic. Carrie's method and work-flow for creating the half-drop pattern was great. I've used illustrator for years, but have never used the actions feature. It was a game changer and made pattern making so much easier. Thank you!”
Tamar B.
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“Exactly what I have been looking for! Carrie gives clear and concise steps to set up and leverage your spoonflower art and store. Perfect for all artist levels!”
Michelle K.
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“I have experience with selling on Spoonflower but I was still able to learn so much new information from this course. I wish that I had this class when I was starting out. I also appreciated the additional resource guide. Thank you!”
Loreli W.
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“Excellent class! This class delivers exactly what it says it will deliver. One of the big takeaways for me is ignoring Spoonflower’s 150dpi recommendation for uploaded files. I had just uploaded my first pattern to Spoonflower before watching this class. From now on it’s 300 dpi all the way and three sizes of each pattern. Thanks Carrie for an incredibly informative class. I will be revisiting it many times over to implement all its tips.”
Chris H.
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“I am so glad I came across this tip to take this class from Carrie about Spoonflower. I just ordered my first FAY with proofs and entered in my first Spoonflower Challenge and what a ton of useful tips and information you get in these classes and also very nice resources too. Thank you Carrie for these very valuable classes!”
Cindy H.
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“This class really helped me focus on the core of who I am and to make more intentional choices in my artwork. I am going to do my next 100 projects with the palette and theme I've chosen and see where it takes me. Some classes teach you a new skill, this one can lead you on a journey of personal discovery. I wish one of my professors in college had offered this advice : )”
Jennifer C.
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“I absolutely loved this class. It's easy to follow along and explains a fantastic process that makes it so much easier to design a half-drop repeat in Illustrator. I have never heard of anyone explaining this technique before and it's just marvellous. I use it all the time for my designs now. So thank you Carrie, for letting us in on your amazing hack!”
Susy S.
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“This is a great class whether you're a newbie with Spoonflower or have been there for a few years. Thanks, Carrie!”
Lisa G.
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“Very useful information to help identify my signature style. Thank you for your clarity and lovely examples.”
Jo R.
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“I've been creating patterns with Illustrator for just a year now and I feel this class will help take my pattern design to another level. Everything is clearly and logically explained and Carrie's keyboard shortcuts make the whole process straight forward and relatively quick, once you understand where everything has to move to.”
Anne M.
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“Great class. Helped me clarify what I had already begun to suspect was my signature style. Great tips for moving forward and developing it too.”
Janet F.
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“Thanks so much! I learned some new tricks for my growing Spoonflower shop. Very helpful.”
Erica R.
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“This class was SO helpful—I really enjoyed it. I actually needed this years ago when I was first on Spoonflower, but hey, it's never too late! Carrie's instructions were so clear and concise—and she didn't just tell you the actions, she showed you. The class was very methodically organized and the pace was spot on—not at all rushed, so you could easily keep up. I would highly recommend Carrie's classes, not only for the amazing instruction but also for the fantastic tips and links! Well done Carrie!”
Sandra G.
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“This class has been very helpful to me. Knowing the working method of other designers helps to improve one's working method. Carrie is clear in every explanation and step, she explains every detail of the lesson adding very useful tips. I absolutely recommend this class.”
Chiara D.
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“Great class no matter where you are in your art journey. Listening I was able to define what I like to draw and in what medium. Still working on getting my colors as I like such a variety of colors and moods!”
Lisa G.
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“I really enjoyed the class. I learned things I probably wouldn't have figured out on my own like how to save money on the proofs and how to better organize the collections. There are tons of tips I can use on my Spoonflower journey. Thank you so much!”
Jennifer C.
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“This class exceeded my expectations! I was really grateful to learn the actions feature in Illustrator, it seriously streamlines the workflow and makes it actually more enjoyable to create repeat patterns with it. Highly recommend! Carrie's teaching method and precise instructions are excellent! Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us!”
Rebecca D.
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“Highly recommend! The class was worth it for the function key settings alone, and that is just a small part of the overall course. Very organized presentation of actionable steps. I leave this class with new tools and skills that will help me design half drop repeating patterns better and faster.”
Bobbi B.
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“I really enjoyed this class. It is full of great advice and I can't wait to explore more ways of making a more cohesive style for myself. Thank you!”
Debbie M.