Freshie & Zero is your go-to source for simple, minimalist jewelry. Each piece is hand formed & crafted just for you, making no two pieces exactly alike.
You’ll find yourself wearing Freshie & Zero pieces with denim on casual coffee shop dates, and then pairing Freshie & Zero with velvet for formal holiday parties. Freshie & Zero jewelry pulls together the simplest of looks and is generally safe for sensitive skin. Each style is handmade using sterling silver and gold filled nickel-free metals.
I wish there was an exciting story about how I got my nickname, “Freshie” but there isn't really. Years ago, my manager at work just thought it rhymed with "Bethie" so she started calling me that and it wasn't long before my coworkers and friends adopted my new name as well. Zero is my Jack Russell Terrier and yes, he's totally nuts (and a total sweetheart).
I started making jewelry when I was about 10 or 11 - I used friendly plastic, a very popular crafting material of the 80's, and made earrings which I sold door-to-door up and down my street out of my caboodle for $3-$5 a pair. I even sold my jewelry to a local boutique! I also had lemonade stands in the summer and hot chocolate stands in the winter - I've always been an entrepreneur at heart.
Upon graduating from Belmont University with an Art degree, I thought the only way to make a living, as an artist was to paint, something I had little passion for. So I put my artistic aspirations aside and worked in different art and craft galleries for a few years. One day while displaying some handmade jewelry with wandering thoughts, I suddenly remembered that I had made jewelry when I was a child! I thought that perhaps I could make it again; maybe I could be a jewelry artist! I started working with beads and vintage components until one day I explored making shapes with wire and a hammer and immediately knew I had found my medium. My signature style slowly evolved into what it is today - delicately feminine, minimalist jewelry.
Over the years, what started as a fun side business has evolved into a full-blown career - I have been making jewelry full-time since May 2008! I've done around 100 craft shows, opened hundreds of wholesale accounts, traveled across the country selling my wares, got married, had two babies and am full of gratitude for my very busy life! Freshie & Zero is thriving, so I now have a little bit of help making jewelry. We work together in my studio in an ever-expanding downtown Nashville arts district. My team mostly listens to music, laughs, hammers and wire wraps the day away.
Zero could once be seen in the studio from time to time, but he typically preferred to stay at home snoozing in the sunlight.
The Team :
Carrie
Customer Service , Marketer
As the Freshie & Zero customer service and marketing assistant, Carrie answers your online inquiries and is a social media wizard. When she's not in the studio, this Californian is watching Bravo, playing with her dog, Jun’, and exploring Nashville!