Frost Finery

Launching Frost Finery

Melissa Frost — Mon, 22 Dec 2014 02:57:13 EST

Quite often, things never go as planned. I never planned to take a hiatus from web design and launch a jewelry business this year and make it happen in 2 months.

I started 2014 redesigning Time Inc’s website with some very talented folks. Then carrying out the Pittsburgh Food Bank’s redesign while working on a product. Unfortunately, the product development dismantled itself and I turned to my hobby of making jewelry to get me through this rough patch.

I found out about an apprenticeship program in Pittsburgh where I could learn new technology to either find a new job or become an entrepreneur. I knew I wanted to make jewelry and sell it. I wasn’t entirely sure how TechShop could help me do that, but I knew that being surrounded by other people that want to learn, having to be accountable, and having to show up and share progress would keep me honest and give me motivation. Luckily, I was accepted and the insanity ensued.

Entering the world of manufacturing was a bit of a cold shower. Previously, I could command+Z myself out of mistakes and make changes to my canvas in seconds. Making a mistake with a physical material, especially metal, made me realize that I really needed to take the time to plan out my projects – measurements, materials and tolerances all needed more attention to detail.

I based my business timeline to coincide with the Makership’s 90 day program. I set out to launch a website and Etsy store in two months and hoped to be able to sell a few items as the holidays rolled around. September 2 was my first day with the Makership and I launched my site and Etsy store November 7th. So what happened in those two months?

learned how to use the laser cutter
learned how to use the water jet machine
learned how to sandblast and powder coat metal
attended Makership soft skill classes and meetings
attempted to learn the metal lathe
researched and invested in tools and materials
prototyped jewelry products
photographed all products
developed my brand and logo
created packaging
created marketing materials
setup social media accounts on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
wrote content for frostfinery.com and my Etsy store
figured out store and shipping policies for the Etsy store
filed Frost Finery as a business with the state of Pennsylvania and the IRS
designed my website (which Brad implemented in 4 days)

With every single one of these bullet points there were tons of sub-priorities that had to be checked off in order to complete each task. In addition to doing all of this, I was also simultaneously making 200 flyers, 48 wooden earrings, 12 brass cuffs, 3 wedding bands and 1 custom silver bangle before I officially launched. Oh, and we bought a house and moved. There were lots of mistakes, trials and errors and sleep depravation along the way. It helped that whenever I was stuck or panicking I either read #girlboss, Bassam Tarazi’s blog or looked up whatever my problem was on the internet to realize that I can solve any issue that comes up. None of this is rocket science, just hard work. One of my favorite quotes that has come out of Sophia Amoruso’s girl boss dialogue is “Never hope for it more than you work for it!”

I’m happy to report that all the hard work is totally worth it. I’ve pulled 16 hour days working in film and advertising and felt absolutely drained. This is different. There’s something invigorating about knowing that whenever I put in a long day I’m building out my vision, not someone else’s. I can make it a reality and I own it. What I’m even happier to share is how much support I received from friends, family, other participants in the Makership program and strangers on social media. Someone asked me the week right before my site launch if I’d be ready and interested in participating in any of the artist holiday markets. I honestly hadn’t even thought of it. I was leaning on the web because that’s what I knew. So, less than a month after the launch I was accepted to participate in two holiday events to sell my jewelry, which then spiraled into another list of to-do’s in figuring out:

how am I going to display my jewelry?
should I use Square, Boku or Etsy’s card reader?
how much inventory is enough?
will I have the same packaging at the fairs as I do online?

A photo posted by Brad Frost (@brad_frost) on Nov 11, 2014 at 11:21am PST

The day Brad and I were loading the display supplies into a pop-up space downtown I nearly had a panic attack. As I looked at everyone’s booth, I felt that my display was too plain, too small and that I didn’t have nearly enough inventory. What really sent me over was being directed to my space which was in a small back room, separated from the rest of the holiday market. My friends showed up to help me setup, show their support and help me calm down. I took a big breathe and told myself that no matter what happened, today was a learning experience and I needed to put on a happy, friendly face and do the best I could and be proud of what I had made. Luckily, Zeke’s coffee was next to me which really helped and I was the only jewelry booth in that back room. I ended up selling so many things on the first day that I had to stay up all night and make more jewelry to sell on the second day. I also got a ton of great feedback from people about how they would like more options in the length of chains, bigger sizes for the bracelets and most of all how they loved my display because it was simple and it matched my brand.

I just mailed the last of my holiday orders out and I’m exhausted, but happy. Next, I’ll need to take care of all the non-metal business work, expenses, taxes….[insert impending list of doom here]. For now, it’s been awesome revisiting my original goals and documenting all the crazy awesomeness that has happened! 2014 has been a year of unexpected turns, but I couldn’t be happier about Frost Finery and continuing to build. I’ve got goals for 2015 which include:

blogging more about my process and how I make things
talking to stores locally about wholesale jewelry
making my shipping process more efficient
learning more about stone setting (specifically faceted stones)
posting regularly on social media
creating better agendas for the jewelry meet up at TechShop

Last but not least a few stats to close out the holidays and 2014:

50 general orders
5 custom orders
1 custom whole sale business order
3,500+ etsy site views
1,600+ website views
44% of visitors are viewing on a 320 x 560 px mobile device
Druzy stud and steel earring jackets are the most viewed item
shipped to 3 countries, US, Canada and Norway
reached 225 likes on the Frost Finery Facebook page

About 10 years ago at a New Years Party, someone went around asking everyone at the party what their New Years Resolution was. In my ridiculous drunken state I said, “to be happy.” Since reading Bassam’s post on “The Ulimate Guide on getting anything done” I would have to change my answer now to – chasing fulfillment. I love this quote from Bassam:

“If your goal is to “be happy” that is like trying to “never suffer”. Chase fulfillment instead. Fulfillment is loaded with exploration, questions, doubts, answers, tears and happiness. You see, happiness is just a part of a life fulfilled. Living the life you were meant to live doesn’t mean that it is a bed of roses, it means that you challenged yourself and tried to be a better version of yourself everyday.

So cheers to chasing fulfillment in 2015, challenging ourselves and becoming a better version of ourselves.

Using the Flow Waterjet at TechShop to cut small shapes

Melissa Frost — Mon, 26 Jan 2015 14:38:15 EST

90% of the work I do is by hand. Every once in awhile I try to see if it’s possible to make my process more efficient by using the FlowJet to cut multiples of the same shape so I’m not hand-sawing 20 of these keystones, or 40 ring blanks or whatever. There’s still a lot of work afterwards… soldering, filing, sanding, tumbling, polishing, etc. The best part is once I’ve created my vector files in Illustrator and FlowPath, next time I can just go straight to the machine, run it and have perfect blanks to start with!

So, in this post I’m going to explain how I cut out my keystone shapes on the Water Jet machine at TechShop Pittsburgh. There’s quite a bit of software and artwork setup to walk through before getting to the coolest part…. cutting through metal!

Overview:

There are 3 major steps: Design, Tool-Pathing your design and Using the Water Jet to cut your artwork file.

A. Design (software: Illustrator and VCarve) Creating artwork in Illustrator or a vectors based program

Open .AI file in VCarve to make vector files easier to read on FlowPath and FlowCut (software that the Water Jet machine actually runs out)

B. Run FlowCut on the Water jet machine (software: FlowCut)

FlowPath is a clunky design software program meant to create artwork for FlowCut (the software the water jet uses). Illustrator is much easier to create designs and then tool-path in FlowPath so the artwork can be read in FlowCut.
Paths and Cut In’s/Cut Out’s must be made in order to successfully run your artwork file on the Water Jet
Export an .ord file and open in FlowCut

C. Run FlowCut on the Water jet machine (software: FlowCut)

choosing your cutting speed and material selection
setting up your material on the water jet bed, homing the machine to cut your file

It’s worth it once you’re able to hold your shiny freshly cut metal form in hand!

The walk-through with images is here in a google docs in order to make it easy to copy/paste/print and edit to your own liking! Have fun!

Gratitude

Melissa Frost — Thu, 09 Apr 2015 06:51:16 EDT

Taking time to be grateful is important. It allows for acknowledgment and mindfulness of the who, what, where, when and how of our days.

This quote by transcendentalist Ralph Waldo Emerson really sums up gratitude for me:

“Cultivate the habit of being grateful for every good thing that comes to you, and give thanks continuously. Because all things have contributed to your advancement, you should include all things in your gratitude.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

March was bananas and April is looking that way too, but in the best way possible! Re-setting myself from New Zealand/Australia culture and then fun playing catch up with work has been quite the contrast too. I had some challenging tasks, but I’m so grateful that I had these things to work towards. The busy train is still rolling, but before the dust settles a few wins to celebrate.

Frost Finery mention in Post-Gazette for TechShop’s 21+ Night:

First wholesale order for The Shop in East Liberty:

TechShop 2 Year Anniversary + Member Sale featuring Frost Finery:

Got into all the Pittsburgh Neighborhood Fleas for the year!

Talked about Launching Frost Finery for Propelle’s Networking Event:

Hosted the first TechShop official Jewelry MeetUp:

Demonstrated my jewelry component cutting on the water jet for PA Gov Tom Wolf:

Have I said how much I love TechShop and the Makership program lately? I guess I should say it again… I heart them so much <3 xoxoxo 😉 !!

Extra accountability excellence for me and the biz is thanks to my monthly mastermind meetings with the fabulous Propelle ladies!

And because I just love making shiny metal things so much, I’m renting a bench a few days a week at the Society for Contemporary Craft where I have access to more tools just a 10min bike ride from my house so no more schlepping things all around town.

The hubs, my friends, my skill swappers and my dog get shout outs for putting up with all my work antics. In all seriousness, I could never do anything without all the support from my husband Brad who helps me with my website and putting up art tents around town. Oh, and the town. <3PGH.

“Every atom belonging to me as good belongs to you.”
– Walt Whitman

And speaking of this great town – if you’re looking for stuff to do this spring check out all the amazing local makers and events!

Mary Acklin’s Fiber Arts Opening Reception at Constellation Coffee

Monthly Neighborhood Fleas, spring dates: April 11 and May 10–

Bespoke May 2nd at Society for Contemporary Craft featuring the Tiny Torch and Studebaker Metals!

Artists’ in Residence at the Mattress Factory until May 31st

Brandy Sinclair: Pittsburgh Historical Jeweler

Melissa Frost — Thu, 23 Apr 2015 03:55:47 EDT

A silver pendant set with an emerald, amethysts and goshenite (white beryl) by Brandy

I was fortunate to meet Brandy Sinclair, a fellow Pittsburgh jeweler and metalsmith at my first Propelle networking happy hour. Brandy has been running her own studio for 10 years! Her husband Brian is a certified gemologist and together they create rare jewelry fit for royalty. As a history buff, Brandy puts a lot of research into the concept and design of each creation. Every link of chain is handmade and Brandy and Brian donate part of their sales to historical research and conservation to boot!

We met up for some coffee and studio-talk and Brandy was gracious enough to let me publish our conversation on the Frost Finery blog.

Featuring: Brandy Sinclair

http://www.sinclairjewelry.com/

Twitter: @RabbitDance

Instagram: SinclairJewelry

Brandy‘s Q&A’s:

I read on your website that you have 2 art degrees! What did you study and where did you go?

B: The Art Institute of Pittsburgh for animation, analog and digital (everything from cells and flash to maya) and video game design. I worked myself out of the industry when I got carpal tunnel syndrome at the age of 22. I had to take a break for awhile after that.

Are you a self-taught jeweler then?

B: Yes. Books, more books, the internet and lots of practice. I also learned basic metalwork growing up with my Grandpa Smith who was an inventor and taught wood shop and metal tech. I worked with brass and steel and learned everything from annealing, braising, bending… to help him with his miniature steam engines that ran on dry ice!

I think it is highly commendable that you make every piece of metal in your jewelry – every chain and jump ring. Do you save money or time by working this way or is it more of a work philosophy?

B: It’s a work philosophy, I definitely don’t save time or money. No part of a piece of jewelry is unimportant and a beautiful pendant deserves a beautiful, custom chain. I tend to make chains that you can’t normally find – not like a box, curb or cable chain. Also, the people I’m selling to appreciate the strong historical perspective. It makes me really happy when someone sees one of my chains and recognizes it as being a Roman style.

What advice can you give for a jeweler who wants to learn to set faceted stones? And, is there one invaluable tool you would suggest adding to a jewelers toolkit for stone setting?

B: http://www.ganoksin.com/ is a great resource, as well as youtube, but again just experiment and practice. I use Jett Sett Fixturing Compound which is really useful for creating holding fixtures for rings and other things when stone setting. Most of the time it’s just a lot of MacGyvering.

*(I had no idea what this was, but Rio has a great how-to video; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VpiBcLXyyAU)

Do you have a formula for pricing out work?

B: Sort of. I’ll charge a certain amount per hour for simpler tasks and then up it for more advanced tasks. I also always add overhead plus the value of materials. In the end, we always have to consider the perceived value of work too.

Do you sell your work in other stores? Do you have a wholesale or consignment method when selling to shop owners?

B: Currently no, but I’d like to. Often finding the right fit is tricky. Generally it’s good to times by 2.2 or 2.5 when selling wholesale. Shop owners will usually have a minimum buy of about 10 pieces so casting items can be really helpful to keep up with inventory.

You and your husband work together from home and you have a daughter. How do you manage to stay organized and keep things running on time?

B: Generally our philosophy is to not be reactionary. Be proactive not reactive. We have some systems set in place, like email templates and an FAQ page to copy and paste directly to customers if something comes up.

We also use Evernote Premium to help schedule things out, scan receipts and we tag everything so it’s easy to search. I can upload my jewelry sketches to Evernote, send them to Brian and we can annotate notes so we have documentation of our thoughts and ideas too.

I also have a “Marketing Monday” where I write a blog post or publish something on Instagram or Twitter. We can’t theme every day because something unexpected pops up when you have a kid, but marketing monday is something I know from week to week I can handle.

What is a work week like for you? Do you usually work off of supply and demand from orders online?

B: Some of it’s based off of online orders, but I sell most of my work in person because my rings are popular and they’re easier for people to try on at shows. It also gives me the opportunity to explain my process so customers have a greater appreciation for what they’re buying. I participate in RAWArtists, the I Made It Markets, and other art festivals. I just invested in a tent this year so I’m hoping to do more.

Many thanks again to Brandy for sharing! Follow Brandy for more metal maven madness. I personally love her Instagram and am so impressed by her diligent and beautiful sketches she shares every day. Keep rockin’ lady!

: tudor knot ear wires

Girls compete with each other. Women empower each other.

Melissa Frost — Sun, 04 Oct 2015 21:54:20 EDT

Sitting outside in Austin TX and while I’m content in the warm sun I keep thinking about the amazing supportive WOMEN I’m surrounded by at home in Pittsburgh and in my life. Big thanks to @wepropelle for giving us a space to come together and build each other up #women #womenruletheworld #feminist #womeninbusiness #womenempowerment #wepropelle

FrostFinery.com is getting a revamp

Melissa Frost — Wed, 07 Oct 2015 03:21:42 EDT

Frostfinery.com is getting a revamp and that means new shiny things like these drop bead stud earrings! Stay tuned #earrings #jewelry #designer #minimalist #contemporaryjewelery #frostfinery #silver

There are new studs in town

Melissa Frost — Thu, 08 Oct 2015 00:18:39 EDT

There are new studs in town… Frost Finery Hammered Arc Ear Climbers in 14k Gold-Plated! Handmade by yours truly. If you love simple things you can wear everyday these are for you.As always, get your Frost Finery on the Etsy shop! Link in profile #frostfinery #jewelry #handmade #arc #gold #earringsoftheday #metalsmith #stud #jewelersofinstagram #jewelrydesigner #pittsburgh #earclimbers

Crystals on crystals

Melissa Frost — Fri, 09 Oct 2015 00:32:27 EDT

#Druzy necklace for my main squeeze & beautiful model @hellobecka for her birthday. Nice to have geology friends like @enigma7751 @tvacapotomus to photograph crystals on crystals! #druzies #crystals #frostfinery #handmade #handmadejewelry #necklace #gold #madewithlove #minimalist #jewelry #metalsmith

Frost Finery Fan Friday

Melissa Frost — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 03:33:31 EDT

Happy Friday! Featuring #frostfinery fan Friday @leila.sleiman rockin’ the #keystone necklace #handmadejewelry

October Neighborhood Flea

Melissa Frost — Sat, 10 Oct 2015 21:54:09 EDT

TOMORROW is the last flea of the season, cannot believe it! Hope to see you @neighborhoodflea for yummy food, handmade goods and shiny things! #pittsburgh #handmade #handmadejewelry #neighborhoodflea #pittsburghevents #pgh #frostfinery

Make Jewelry and have a beer with me

Melissa Frost — Tue, 13 Oct 2015 01:06:18 EDT

Make some jewelry with me! I’ll be teaching the next Crafts & Drafts at the Society for Contemporary Craft next Friday from 6-9pm! There are a few spots open and it’s only $35 which gets you 2 complimentary brews and covers materials. Even if you can’t make it @sccPGH always has a FREE exhibit on their first floor gallery – def worth checking out.Contemporarycraft.org#handmade #scc #contemporarycraft #workshop #texture #metalsmith #craftsanddrafts

Custom Logo Etched Heart Necklace

Melissa Frost — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 05:56:34 EDT

Made this silver heart necklace for @julesweis @jackjulespgh for being so awesome and supporting me! She hosted my first trunk show & carries lots of #frostfinery in her store. So grateful to have her in the community & in #Lawrenceville I’ll be dropping off more shiny goods at her fabulous store this month #tbt #wepropelle #necklace #heart #handmade #jewelry #handmadejewelry #smallbusiness #womenempower

Frost Finery Fan Friday!

Melissa Frost — Fri, 16 Oct 2015 14:36:35 EDT

Happy Friday! Here’s the gorgeous @_fr0stbite modeling the Rock Breastplate that was donated to the American Heart Association. Photo by @raysison tag @frostfinery #frostfinery and share your fine self on #fanfriday ️ #handmadejewelry #fallfashion #jewelry #breastplate #madeinpgh #model #fall #handmade #jewelrydesigner

Mantraband Workshop with Big Brothers Big Sisters

Melissa Frost — Sat, 17 Oct 2015 20:22:03 EDT

It was so great to be a part of the Big Brothers Big Sisters STARTup SOMETHING project!So proud of what everyone learned & accomplished in such a short amount of time!

#bbbs #frostfinery #workshop #mantras #bracelets #jewelry #bigbrothersbigsisters #lasers

Frost Finery is now available at Rosewood Boutique!

Melissa Frost — Mon, 19 Oct 2015 23:21:17 EDT

Frost Finery Jewels are now available @rosewoodboutique in Sewickley! The gorgeous @hellobecka is modeling one of a few exclusive druzy bar necklaces & one of Frost Finery’s newest earrings, the Radiant Guardian Druzy Earring Jackets – also available online – link in profile ?Shine on lovelies! ✨ #handmade #handmadejewelry #shoplocal #shophandmade #frostfinery #druzy #druzyjewelry #jewelry #jewelrydesigner #sewickley #pittsburgh #pghfashion

Ring Party at Jack + Jules

Melissa Frost — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 23:40:55 EDT

Happy Autumn Pittsburgh Friends! You know where to get those stack rings…

Frost Finery on Instagram

Melissa Frost — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 19:07:08 EDT

Woohoo! A revamp of FrostFinery.com is now live – including the new collection, events, workshops and stockists! So grateful to my husband @brad_frost and especially my bro Ian Frost who have been busy making all these great changes. Check it out, we would love to hear your feedback. In honor of our launch, here's the Unicorn Sparkler Necklace in bronze. Because you can't have a bad day wearing a unicorn #launch #launchparty #unicorn #frostfinery #webdesign #jewelry #handmade #madewithlove #madeinpgh

Frost Finery on Instagram

Melissa Frost — Fri, 23 Oct 2015 23:49:18 EDT

Happy Happy! It's Frost Finery Fan Friday. Thanks @kcbestor for sharing ️️️ And… Drum roll please…a revamp of FrostFinery.com is now LIVE! Get the keystone necklace and check out new pieces in the collection. #fanfriday #Repost @kcbestor with @repostapp.・・・Reppin that Commonwealth. #pennsylvaniagirl #keystonestate #frostfinery

Frost Finery on Instagram

Melissa Frost — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 23:23:02 EDT

Such a great weekend between the textured metals workshop @sccpgh teaching participants how to make my chevron necklace in copper AND @frostywx @brad_frost launching the NEW FROSTFINERY.COM site!! As you can tell, we like to keep it in the fam. My bro has a blog post about going from meteorology to web design. I was his first client! (I tried not to be such a pain;) http://ianfrostweather.com/

View on Instagram

Frost Finery on Instagram

Melissa Frost — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 00:26:29 EDT

Blondie signing out at the jewelers bench. Going back to my natural color tomorrow… ?

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