Meet Judi Blondin | Metalsmith

We had the good fortune of connecting with Judi Blondin and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Judi, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
When I took my first metalsmithing class, owning my own business wasn’t in the forefront of my mind. I was just so excited to try something new, and was delighted at how quickly I picked it up. It was just after the pandemic and the work fueled me. It wasn’t until a few months later the thought of owning my own business came about. I am extremely fortunate to have other women entrepreneurs and metalsmith/mentors to help guide me as well as many incredible people urging me on, who loved my work and believed I could make this a business. They probably believed in me more than I did at that point, but sometimes thats all it takes. So, I took a chance! just over a year after picking up a torch for the first time, I hung my hat on Burn & Bloom and started metalsmithing full time from my cozy home in the White Mountains. Business ownership has so many benefits and downfalls- but I am thoroughly enjoying learning them all along the way.

I have spent years in jobs that I was good at but may not have liked, or jobs that I loved that I knew I didnt fit into… This work allows me to live a life authentic to who I am. It’s simultaneously fueled by and fuels curiosity for the natural world and it’s wild places. Owning this business, just made sense and I continue every day to feel that way.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I primarily make my jewelry with sterling silver and cabochon style gemstones- which means smooth polished stones that are flat on one side. The work I create is inspired by the natural world, as that is what has always inspired me. Whether my designs are more figurative or very literal in design… I feel a huge connection with wild places, and thats where my work takes me. I think as a creative its hard to say what really sets us apart from one another, in using similar mediums there can be overlap, however it where this work comes from in us that separates us. We all have our own stories, our own muses, our own voice- and it shows in the work. I find myself a nostalgic type, who’s felt lost and found at many time in my life… So with my work I try and evoke an emotion of a lost treasure, found. To hope a piece speaks to you, where you pick up its story where I’ve left off.

In general I am proud of everything Burn & Bloom is.. I am proud that it just simply exists, and I look forward to coming up with ways to improve, I recently have decided to give a percentage of sales to local organizations that help protect the outdoors and the outdoor community, two things that have shaped who I am today, and hope to give back more in the future. Further I am proud and excited about the constant improvement of my skills- to see yourself progress as an artist and have others notice the progression is such an incredible feeling.

While I feel I took to metalsmithing fast, by no means does it make it easy- somedays its all I can do not to melt an earring for the 4th time or crack a stone upon setting it… You just keep showing up every day, keep practicing techniques and know its okay to put a half finished piece away until inspiration strikes again. I think thats what I love about it, it demands your presence and patience every time you sit at the bench. As a new business owner I feel like the lessons I learn are abundant. every day. not all are good ones but all I am grateful for, not everyone finds a passion turned profession and I feel incredibly lucky that I have.

I just want the world to know I am here. That a little wild redheaded girl from central Maine, forged her own little path in the world and finally found something that felt like a purpose. That each piece I create is another part of my story, and it could be a part of yours as well.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So I live in Mount Washington Valley- we have a number of ski resorts, Mount Washington (the home of the worlds worst weather) and if you hit it just right in the summer… a LOT of mosquitos.

Most of my favorite things include hiking mountains and swimming in their rivers. There are so many hiking trails around you could blindly point to a map and pick a steep trail with a breath taking view. Lazy summer afternoons are best spent along the saco river with your chosen libation in hand.

For eats we have quite a variety of restaurants to choose from, from a new sushi/ramen place Sushki to the Thompson House Eatery, where I worked for a handful of years and is situated on a 5 acre working vegetable farm thats featured on their menu. A couple local breweries (Ledge and Tuckerman) are great spots for some live music and local brews.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people who contributed to the story of Burn & Bloom Metalsmithing. My friend Carly who owns Flux jewelry studio gave me a credit to go to my first class, I probably wouldn’t have signed up without her help- she also gave me my first box of tools and odds n ends, some I still use! My husband who has been beside me this whole time, and who still gets excited for me when I show him a new piece I am working on. My dear friend Cait who wouldn’t let a day go by without telling me I can make it happen and to “just go for it”, who has taken many photos of my work and myself for my website, and who may have the largest selection of my jewelry to date.

I also have many, many wonderful friends and family who have given me advice when I ask for it , encouragement when I need it and who light that fire when I can’t find the match on my own. I am incredibly lucky to have the people in my life that I do and I hope they all know they helped make Burn & Bloom what it is today and what it continues to grow into.

Website: www.burnandbloommetalsmith.com

Instagram: @burnandbloommetalsmithing

Image Credits
Cait Bourgault Photography