- SHOP OUR THANKSGIVING SALE EXCLUSIVELY IN OUR ETSY SHOP AT VIAFRANCESCA.ETSY.COM thru 11/27 -

ABOUT US

Hi, friends!

I'm Francesca, founder and artist of Via Francesca. Thanks for stopping by to hear our story.

I have always had a passion for creating. While I was in high school, I spent much of my free time teaching myself new techniques in beading and jewelry fabrication. That's when I discovered hand stamping, the process of stamping characters into metal - one by one, by hand with a brass hammer - which is now our specialty at Via Francesca. 

My friends considered me to be very 'crafty' and started to ask me if I could bring their ideas to life. That's when I realized my passion for creating could be more than an after-school hobby.

...and Via Francesca was born. In 2012 while I was pursuing my B.S.B.A at UCF, I started an Etsy-based company, where I sold the jewelry I handcrafted between classes and my serving job. As I learned more about business and as Via Francesca grew on Etsy, I decided it was time for our next step: a brick & mortar.

One month after graduating from UCF, I opened my first store in an artisan mall in Orlando, Florida.  After a couple of years in Orlando, I decided to expand & relocate Via Francesca to my hometown of Lake Mary, Florida. My first Lake Mary location featured my handcrafted jewelry and gifts along with a couple of other local artisans' work. It was voted a finalist for "Best Jewelry Store" by Orlando Sentinel's 2018 Best Bets!

After some time in our first Lake Mary location, I had the opportunity to expand & relocate once again. This time, just a few doors down. In August 2019, I expanded Via Francesca into a truly unique storefront & workshop studio. Our storefront offered artisan goods from around 30 Central Florida artisans including myself, crystals, plants and we hosted different art classes and workshops, too! 

After some time in our expanded storefront, the COVID-19 pandemic hit. While we were temporarily closed during a statewide stay-at-home mandate, I took the time to slow down (something many of us business owners don't allow ourselves to do!) and reflected on myself, my company, and our future.

After much consideration, I made the decision to close our Downtown Lake Mary storefront permanently and work on growing myself as an artist & entrepreneur. 

Our website features my work along with a collection of rocks & crystals

are you a Central Florida local?

Stop by our booth in Adjectives Market Altamonte Springs & Adjectives Market Winter Garden to shop my work in person. Follow us on social @via_francesca to stay up to date on local events!