Maria Nerius has been a craft professional for over 20 years, starting as a professional crafter who sold wooden folk dolls at arts and craft shows throughout the South with the help of her husband, Ken. Maria wanted to be a writer as a child and combined her passion for creativity with her journalistic aspirations. She’s published over 1,000 craft projects, seven books and enjoys participating on craft TV shows for PBS. Maria enjoys working as a freelance writer and craft designer because of all the wonderful variety, including product review and research, editing, design, blogging and interaction with fellow creative crafters.

When not crafting, she enjoys scuba diving in warm tropical waters and shares her underwater photography online. Gardening is another important part of Maria’s life. Living in Florida means gardening with orchids, bromeliads, bamboo and citrus trees. She can’t pick a favorite craft because she loves so many, including handmade papermaking, lamp working, glass fusing, ceramics, needle felting, needlepunch, paper arts, embroidery, keepsakes and woodworking. She has a special love of genealogy and keeping heirlooms safe for future generations. Maria is a graduate of the University of Florida and is delighted that her childhood dream of becoming a writer came true. Maria says, "The goal of craft is joy!"

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