FROM FRESHIE:
Hello. I am Beth Porter Lawrence, a.k.a. "Freshie". Zero is my Jack Russell.
I began making jewelry when I was ten years old. At that time, I molded friendly plastic into earrings and sold them up and down my street out of my pink & purple Caboodle, and wholesaled them to my first store in downtown Franklin, Tennessee. I believe my going price was around $3-$5 which probably didn't cover my expenses, but what did I care - I was making real money!
After earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Belmont University where my focus was photography and painting, I moved from Nashville to Atlanta. I worked in a craft gallery there and rediscovered my love for making jewelry, and I began stringing beads and recycling vintage components under the name "Freshie Designs". I sold my jewelry in three stores in Atlanta until I moved back to
Nashville and put my jewelry on hold while I tried a career in sales for a couple of years. However, this intense job left no room for creativity, so I resigned from my position and launched Freshie & Zero after a couple of years of carefully developing my own unique style.
Simple, modern, and elegant are all words I hear used to describe my jewelry. I start out with a piece of sterling silver or gold filled wire which I shape into a circle, square, or some other little form. I then take it to my anvil and hammer it out while purposefully leaving the hammer marks for a distinct look. Often I add finishing asymmetrical touches of gemstones or freshwater pearls, resulting in a dainty and delicate style.
