Hey, there!
I'm Bonnie Christine
I'm a mama, artist and fabric designer living nestled back in the hills of the Great Smoky Mountains. I love to grow flowers, explore nature and snuggle my kids every day.
I have a passion for sharing what I know and inspiring others to follow their own big dreams.
What I Do:
(AND I CAN TEACH YOU TO DO THE SAME!)
LICENSE MY ARTWORK
HOST A PODCAST
CULTIVATE COMMUNITY
TEACH SURFACE PATTERN DESIGN
LEAD A TEAM
Pop quiz!
Personality:
Q: Enneagram number?
A: 3w4
Q: Introvert or extrovert?
A: Introvert
Q: Love language?
A: Quality time
Q: night owl or early bird?
A: neither! :)
This or That:
Q: Mountains or Ocean?
A: Mountains
Q: chicken or tofu?
A: tofu
q: pencil or iPad
a: pencil
q: jeans or stretchy pants
a: stretch pants
Currently:
Cooking
The Autumn Glow Salad
Reading
The Artisan Soul
Listening to
Habits of a high performer
Binge watching
Outlander
My favorites:
BEING HOME
FLOWERS
GARDENING
OATMILK LATTES
CROSSFIT
PLANT BASED COOKING
SNUGGLING
PLANTS
HIKING
My Story
Our stories matter, because they contain the transformation. There are no 'overnight successes'. We put in hard work, we make sacrifices and we consistently show up through it all. I share my story with you to show you what it looked like at the very beginning.
The struggles, the imposter syndrome, the uncertainty. I've been there!
BUT I'M HERE TO TELL YOU:
If I can do it, so can you.
A Timeline
01
It all started with my momma, Maxie.
Because of her, my childhood was saturated with creativity. I grew up spending time in her quilt shop, watching her sew and creating things alongside her. We spent time learning crafts together, decorating the house, and cooking meals. From pottery and painting to photography and baking... she has mastered it all!
Creativity seems to seep from her pores, and it's through her wisdom, willingness to teach, and gentle guidance that inspired my belief that my world had to revolve around being creative too.
02
I decided to be a fabric designer
(without having ANY skills!).
After going to business school and marrying my sweetheart David, I found myself back in Mom's fabric shop, managing inventory and meeting with art reps. Working here brought it all together: fabric design took all my passions in life and wrapped them up as a beautiful career option. I had decided: I was going to be a fabric designer!
Just one problem: I didn't know how to design. It dawned on me—I can do this on my own. It may be the hardest thing I ever do, but I can do it.
I opened an Etsy Shop, started a blog, and got involved with the handmade community. I started to find my voice as a creative. After about six months, I was making a small but substantial income and was able to quit my day job (sorry, Momma!).
03
My philosophy: do one thing a day.
I was able to really focus on my dream of becoming a surface pattern designer. I began doing one thing every single day that helped move me toward my dream. For a while, it was just researching where I needed to begin: I asked questions, read books, and took online classes to learn Adobe Illustrator. After 11 months of "Daily Things," I made my first repeating pattern!
The next 9 months were spent making as many patterns as possible. I spent time sourcing inspiration, sketching, and designing. Some days I only had 15 minutes to accomplish my "one thing," while others were spent entirely on design. Months went by until I finally had 3 pattern collections that I felt proud of and ready to share with the world: my very first portfolio.
04
It only takes ten seconds of courage.
Putting myself out there was scary—putting my name to my work, cold-calling companies to ask them for their opinion of the work I'd poured my heart and soul into. Rejection is inevitable, and it hurts! But I knew that if I didn't put my work out there, no one would see it. I've always told myself: it only takes 10 seconds of courage. It only takes 10 seconds of courage to dial a number, introduce myself to an art director, or ask someone's opinion. After my 10 seconds of courage were up, the conversation would be started and things would flow. I still use this trick to this very day!
05
Now, I'm living my creative dream!
Along the way, we struggled: David made a humble salary and my income was inconsistent. We downgraded to one car, lived in a small one-bedroom house, and hardly ever ate out or bought new clothes. David believed in me and my family supported my dreams—helping drive my passion.
I attended International Quilt Market in 2012, where I took my handmade portfolio and a small quilt my mom had made to show my designs. It's still one of my most favorite possessions—I keep it folded in my studio where I can look at it often and think about what it represents.
I met with several companies to show them my work and samples, but I was most excited about my meeting with Art Gallery Fabrics. I walked away from that meeting as a different person: the art director offered me a contract and I left Quilt Market to begin my career as a fabric designer!
06
And I'm teaching you HOW.
For the past 13 years I have been consistently switching hats between artist, entrepreneur, educator and leader which leads to me where I am today - ready to share it all with you. Today I’m a momma living in a tiny town running a multi-seven-figure business doing the most creative and impactful work of my life.
I’m here to teach you how to spend your life doing something that lights you up, that’s creatively fulfilling, that gives you all the freedom you want and that’s wildly profitable.
This journey wasn't easy, but it was absolutely worth it.
Are you on the list?
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From the people who know me best:
Maxi
MY MOMMA
"Blessed to be Bonnie’s mom, I know her heart to be as sweet as she seems. She thoroughly knows what she teaches and helps us see that our goals are entirely reachable. Her teaching style is comprehensive yet warm and encouraging. She has helped me gain the skills and confidence to run my own online business and provide my customers with beautiful, professional materials. I’ve always told her, when her dreams come true, mine do too."
David
MY HUBBY
"It's been amazing to watch Bonnie start from scratch. Being behind the scenes, I've seen the struggles, the hard work, the ambition .. and her ability to thrive. I don't think either of us realized how incredible the journey would be. I've seen it all unfold and I couldn't be more proud of her. I love watching Bonnie in her element. Seeing first hand how she genuinely uplifts the creatives around her is honestly, so inspiring."
Callie
MY BESTIE
"My friendship with Bonnie first started when she became my running partner. She is my kindred spirit and biggest encourager, and I’m so proud of her. She gives the best advice and inspires everyone around her, is wise, fun and an amazing storyteller. She loves good people, good light and a really good outfit. We’ve raised our babies together, shared gardens, traveled together, & she always makes these moments the happiest. Our friendship is one of my greatest gifts."
