We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Judi Blondin. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Judi below.

Judi, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

In my line of work I feel like most if not all of the pieces I create are meaningful. A story created from an experience I had, a landscape I stood in awe by or a custom piece that is meaningful for the person who asked me to craft it. A few do stick out in my head. A couple necklaces using the hair of beloved horses, earrings that remind a mother of time spent together when her kids were younger… Or rings used to declare a love to another.

However I think the most meaningful piece came on my own wedding day. A year before we met, my husbands mother had passed away in a tragic accident. She was his best friend, his confidant and the one who always pushed him to follow his dreams. Throughout our relationship, even though I never knew her, her love was still around us. He eventually asked me to marry him and knowing our wedding day would be hard for him not having her there, I wanted to craft a special piece where she could stay close to him on that day, as well as tie in parts of our life and love. So I set out to make him a boutanniere: The body of the it was a silver cast twig from Mount Washington, where we had met 5 years before, and attached to it was a small hollow X where inside I had placed a small amount of his mom’s ashes into, and soldered it shut. I completed the look with a partridge feather from a bird our dog had hunted and a few flowers from my bouquet.

On our wedding day I presented the it to him, telling him how important it was that she be here with us on this day and we both cried together as I pinned it to his shirt over his heart. Knowing how much it meant to me, and how much it meant to the rest of his family, made me feel forever connected to her and all of them.

Judi, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I have always been a creative person, always crafting, writing, painting for enjoyment when I found quiet moments to do so, and for the most part I kept it all pretty private. I had for quite a few years been interested in metalsmithing, but feeling intimidated by the craft, until just after the pandemic I was needing a change, an outlet- like I’m sure many of us felt and had the opportunity to take a class, so… I jumped on it. I took to it fast and fell hard for the work. Taking 2 classes and piecing together a small studio in my house, Burn and Bloom arose.

So what is a metalsmith? Well to put it broadly, it is a craftsman who works with various metals. As one of the oldest occupations it often includes the hammering, heating and forging of metals. I fall under a smaller catergory in metalsmithing as a jeweler. Working primarily with sterling silver as well as brass and copper accents I handcraft nature inspired jewelry. Pairing them with high grade gemstones to create wearable art. My favorite type of jewelry to make is statement earrings, often with hidden landscapes and pieces that swing and catch the light. Primarily I market on social media through instagram that directs to my website for people to purchase. I do small batch releases a few one of a kind pieces at a time for people to buy.

I also do custom work- So people can contact me through social media or email with an idea of a piece of work they want crafted and we work together to create a meaningful piece. I find custom work challenging and rewarding at the same time, it allows the consumer to be part of the creative process, only deepening the connection to the work. It also helps me define myself as an artist and a business owner. I can also do small repairs and resizing of jewelry you may already have, as well as giving it a new life by turning a single earring into a beloved necklace or ring- or using a stone to craft something completely new. Even if you have the vaguest Idea of what you want or none at all. I love the entire process of crafting jewelry, from idea to finished project. Never hesitate to reach out!

I have always been drawn to the natural world, to the uncommon and the wild- It is here that I grow the most inspiration for my work and for my life, it is here that always feels like home, where I am the most “me”- Like many of us. My hope is that my work will always bring a little bit of the Wild places where ever you go. To always remember the bits of wonder in every day life, and to look damn good while doing it.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

Supporting creatives, artists and small business can look like many things. From buying our work to just letting other people know we exist. In this day and age most marketing and advertising is done on social media. So something as simple as sharing a piece of art you like can generate sales and get us seen by people who otherwise wouldn’t know we are there. As a metalsmith and jewelry maker of course the best marketing is when my work is worn and seen by others.

Another way to support is combating the “starving artist” persona. Meaning, Paying artists and creatives a fair wage for their work, their knowledge and skill is something I have seen many struggle with, including myself. At times it can be a difficult subject to breach with a consumer. Understanding the time, and dedication it takes to fulfill their project requirements just as you would a mechanic or that of a contractor and that it directly correlates to cost of an item is important. I have noticed through my 4 years that it continues to improve as things like instagram show more of the creating process and all that goes into it. It allows others to see the care, patience and craftsmanship that goes into the art. Which only helps.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

This is a tough question to answer, I find so many aspects of my work challenging and rewarding. I think pushing myself creatively as a business owner is top of the list. When I push through my normal style to create outside my comfort zone, trusting the process. It is not something that comes easily for me, I have always been hard on myself especially on my creative works. Yet as a business owner I have come to recognize if you do not push yourself, you won’t stand out. Why chase your dreams if you’re not willing to chase them all the way. So the way this work has taught me to trust my instincts.. put myself out there, and to not be afraid to try something new has definitely been the most rewarding.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.burnandbloommetalsmith.com
• Instagram: burnandbloommetalsmith

Image Credits
Cait Bourgault Photography @photocait