When fashion and fandom come together, it’s like the greatest superpower ever: being able to take a small piece of your favorite heroes with you! Full cosplay and dresses may make a strong impression, but if you’d like to add to your already full closet of outfits, jewelry makes the perfect accessory for everyday wear. One fan turned her love of comic book heroines and fashion into a business by crafting handmade jewelry created from her own comic book collection.

After attending her first Free Comic Book Day event, Gretch Corley was in a store perusing the clearance jewelry. “I saw these plated geometric necklaces, and thought, ‘These are so ugly, why would someone wear just plain plates?'” she told us. Questionable fashion choices turned to inspiration as Corley bought up the unwanted accessories and started combining them with her comic book haul. Her first piece of jewelry was an homage to Wonder Woman, and while the first try wasn’t perfect—it inspired her to keep creating and experimenting with different mediums.

Since that first experiment in 2011 Corley has honed her process, recently switching to an aluminum base for her accessories. “I sustained a neck injury a few years ago, and wearing heavy necklaces aggravates my nerve damage,” she shared, “so having these ultra lightweight pieces means I can wear jewelry again. I figured I can’t be the only one who can’t handle weight around the neck, so that’s become a huge selling point.”

She now hand cuts the pieces out of aluminum sheet metal, which allows her to make each piece custom for the images. After hammering loop holes, she then buffs everything down with a Dremel. Specific comic images are gathered for the piece, glued down then coated with a modeling enamel. The streamlined process results in beautiful custom works of art.

Powerful female comic book characters provide Corley inspiration, in addition to Wonder Woman she has a few go-tos that are her favorites: “Josie Schuller from Ladykiller. Storm, Red Sonja, Faith, Angela, Batwoman. I love strong, independent women in my comics.”

Corley has come a long way since her very first Free Comic Book Day, inspired by the many strong women she uses in her art pieces, she has decided to crowdfund to open her own store in West Virginia. “I’ll be using the space to host events like Batman Day and Halloween Comics Fest, and talk to parents and educators about the use of comics in reading development. I’ve been working a lot with the Philippi Public Library to help them develop their graphic novel section, coordinate new events in town, and this year I’m giving them all my kids’ HCF titles to pass out.”

Whether it’s creating jewelry or talking about her passion for comics, Corley has taken her fandom to the next level by spreading her joy of comics.

Check out the gallery for more comic book jewelry and Corley’s store for the full collection.

Which comic book necklace would you wear to show off your fandom? Let us know in the comments!