Tamara Shea of Block Party Press is a lifelong resident of Maryland and mother of two for whom crafting is a passion and a career. She is self-taught and has been crafting since she was a kid, but it wasn’t until her second son was born that Tamara considered pursuing craft full time. “When I had the free time to think about things other than work, I began to create again and when I found Etsy, I realized that I could have it all. I could stay home with my kids, create art, sell it, make a living and be extremely happy doing it,” she says.

Tamara uses a combination of carved stamps, polymer clay and acrylic paint to create beautifully textured, eye-popping jewelry, magnets, mixed media artwork and other accessories. Her work is distinctive and it’s pretty evident that she’s not a crafter who follows the crowd. If you read Tamara’s blog, you’ll see that she photographs objects that might inspire and inform her work, like pinecones, walnut shells, birthday candles – even an egg beater!

(Images courtesy of Block Party Press)