I’m Tom Burns. I moved to Vermont in my 20’s, had a baby, and started making jewelry when I couldn’t find a decent job. My first pieces were silver earrings, that I took down to sell over a weekend in Connecticut. Three hours later, the whole batch was gone. Now 30 years (and 3 babies) later, I’m still making fun, affordable jewelry for fun people.
Along the way I’ve had a successful retail store, sold my work wholesale, and shown my work at Arts and Crafts Fairs. It’s the last one that I’ve liked the best, and that I still do the most. I get to start with real stones and silver, both direct from the earth, form them into (hopefully) attractive jewelry, then hand them face-to-face to the person who’s going to wear it. How could you beat that?
I still live and work on the homestead where my kids grew up, producing jewelry in my cozy little workshop. Three of my kids worked with me in their high school and college days, and I’m happy to say my son, Brian, is still helping out.
But now the shop is calling. I want to get back with a hammer and a torch in my hand… making jewelry for a fun person (you?) to see at an upcoming show, who “gets” it, who understands what I was trying to do and say with that stone and some silver, and wears it home that very day. I wouldn’t have it any other way.