MMM: It's Not All B & W

Altered Clipboard

Detail of ribbon and crystal button

This week's Mixed Media Monday challenge was to create something in Black and White with a splash of color. I bought this clipboard at the dollar store a few days ago, and thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to alter it. . .

I resisted the urge to collage the board as I wanted to have a smooth surface to write on. With that in mind, I decided to use a monotone palette with paint and simple touches. After applying a few coats of Gesso, I used a Tim Holtz mask and painted over it with another few coats of black acrylic. I wanted a grunge look, so I tried not to clean or "pretty it up" after peeling off the mask. Instead, I scrubbed the board with sandpaper while the paint was still tacky and purposely rubbed a wet rag on top of the edges, scalloped bottom and polka dots. Finally, I added water-soluble oil pastels in both white and black to add to the messy look. It was sealed with a topcoat of matte gel and finished off with a charcoal ribbon (my splash of subtle color) and a Swarovski crystal.

Thank you for looking! To see more pieces on Black & White (with a splash of color), please log on to http://www.mixedmediamonday.wordpress.com/.

Kristin xo