
ELLSWORTH — Two best friends who share a passion for their jewelry-making trade have opened a workshop at The Maine Grind.
Nisa Smiley of nisajewelry.com creates jewelry inspired by nature and the sea.
Cara Romano creates jewelry using silver and vibrant hues of felt. Her website is www.cararomano.com.
The two are happy to be working together in the same space.
“We always said, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if we could work in the same room instead of working our studios talking on the phone?’” Smiley said.
The pair’s Grind workshop is predominantly a working jewelry studio, but there is a small retail area where customers can ooh and ah and try on pieces created by Smiley and Romano.
Smiley describes her work as “very nature-inspired. It’s very sensual.”
Smiley tries to use as much recycled metal as she can as well as gems and sea glass from the United States.
She also uses mussel shells, which get polished and set into frames for earrings or pendants.