DAAP Creations: Jewelry by Elizabeth Normand | The Fashion Dungjen

If going green is the new black and repurposed is refined, Elizabeth Normand is an up-and-coming it girl in Cincinnati.

Normand, a third-year fashion design student at the University of Cincinnati, takes what is old and makes it new. Her main focus, for now, is her jewelry, which she sells on Etsy.com and at craft shows.

Her most inspired pieces are necklaces made from seven-inch vinyl records. Without divulging the tricks of her trade, Normand’s process for creating the ruffled record necklaces is fairly simple – the general process takes about a half hour. What is the most time consuming is the hand-painted designs she meticulously crafts on every piece.

Each design is different and depends on what inspires her most. Sometimes it’s a vintage pattern, sometimes its printed fabric. Although each looks perfectly crafted, some designs are the product of a painting mistake, forcing her to get even more creative with her craft.

She started making jewelry last fall while she worked at her first co-op, Twelve Factor, a Cincinnati-based children’s wear company, for which she designed a fall clothing collection.

“First I made a record bowl, and once I saw how it turned out, I was like, ‘Oh, that would make a super sweet necklace,’ ” Normand said.

At first the necklace making was a stress-relieving hobby to occupy time. Once it became a part of her regular routine, Normand decided it was a business venture worth pursuing.

In August 2008, she opened her own Etsy store – elizabethnormand.etsy.com – selling jewelry made from recycled materials. Although her shop only shows 12 sales, Normand has had sales reach as far as Denmark.

“Cincinnati is conservative,” Normand said. “The further from Cincinnati I get, the more successful [sales are].”

While the record necklaces are unique, they’re not the only unique jewelry on the eco-friendly menu: She’s made necklaces from recycled stained glass and she even sells a handlebar mustache on a silver chain.

Normand also makes hair accessories, usually adorned with feathers and vintage buttons, again reiterating her devotion to recycled materials in an effort to keep what might be perceived as trash out of a landfill.

Since opening her shop, Normand has expanded her line to include bags and some clothing.

The shirt featured in her Etsy store is a shredded light pink one size fits all T-shirt. It’s grungy and dramatic while still managing to feel girly.

Although it’s the only garment listed, Normand expects she’ll start to expand her clothing line in the future.

“I’m pretty much working on making more clothing,” Normand said. “The next step is to make everything more professional looking, to make everything look a little more polished, more upscale and not like it was handmade.”

Normand is scheduled to showcase and sell her record necklaces at OddMall: Emporium of the Weird, in Hudson, Ohio, on May 9.

For more information on OddMall, visit the Web site at http://www.oddmall.info.