Tessa Long grew up in Missouri and North Carolina before settling in Montana in 2011.  She holds a bachelor's degree in Spanish from the University of North Carolina at Wilmington and a Master's degree in Technical communication from the Missouri University of Science and Technology.  Tessa previously worked as a high school Spanish teacher, but now spends her days hammering stamped metal accessories for pets and their people.  She began making copper pet ID tags in 2007, and later began creating functional and decorative designs for her human customers.  Her Etsy shop was the featured seller on Etsy in November 2009, and her work has also appeared in Modern Dog, City Dog, and Country Living Magazines as well as on HGTV.  Tessa lives in Bozeman with her husband and three furry children.