Tutorial ~ Building a Halloween Layout with Sizzix Texture Fades

Thanks for stoping by today! It's my turn to host the Friday Focus at Frilly and Funky, and this week "seasonal" Alterations (Dies and Texture Fades) are discounted in Linda's shop, The Funkie Junkie Boutique. I've used the Sizzix Halloween Texture Fades - Backgrounds & Borders set.

I started with a piece of paper that I wanted to jazz up a bit with some inking and stamping. This little guy is almost fifteen years old now... the days are long but the years are short!

I ran a small piece of the green paper through my Vagabond (any diecutting machine will work) with the Fade, and I wanted to point out how helpful it is to use a shim. On the left is one I cut without a shim, and on the right is one cut with one: 

        

Big difference, right? This paper is so thin that the Fade cut through in places, showing the white core. A shim is just a little cushion that makes for a slightly softer and smoother cut. I usually just fold a piece of leftover printer paper into fourths and put it right behind my patterned paper.  

Remember that with the Fades, you can use just parts of them as well as the whole. The one I used has twelve words as well as the number 31... lots of possibilities. I often use scraps to get just a part of a Fade. Here I went for the '31' section and you can see my shim sticking out a bit beneath the green paper:

I decided I wanted more contrast for the page so I went with orange instead, and added some text paper and a black mat. After distressing the edges, I cut a window to fit my picture, making the Fade into a frame:

             

Back to customizing my paper, I used Tim's spiderweb mask with black soot distress ink, and then cut another strip of the green paper and ran my distress ink pad directly across the raised edges to make those letters pop:

 

            

I added the 'trick-or-treat' strip to the bottom of the paper and cut a Mini Ticket to use as a journaling spot for the date. I colored it with different distress inks and embellished it with a metal charm, one of Tim's file tabs, a ribbon scrap and the year (diecut from the Sizzix Typeset die). After stamping a black cat, I added some Dusty Attic barbed wire chipboard, painted with Ranger's black paint dauber and attached with Tim's Tiny Attacher.

Thanks again for the visit. Be sure to stop by Linda's shop to see all the Seasonal Alterations on sale (including Halloween, Autumn, Winter, and Christmas.)

I'll link this to the Halloween theme at Paper Issues and the Dies/Punches challenge at Simon Says Stamp.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Marjie 

 

Products used:

Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Halloween Background and Borders Set	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Halloween Silhouettes	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Alphabet Die - Typeset	Tim Holtz Idea-ology File Tabs	Mini Tickets Sizzix Alterations Movers & Shapers by Tim Holtz
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Spiced Marmalade	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Dusty Concord	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Mustard Seed	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Black Soot	Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Pitch Black
Claudine Hellmuth Multi Medium Matte	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Base Tray	Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool-With 2 Blending Foams	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher Refills

Comments

[Claudine]

Really cool page Marjie! I love it, it's spooky and awesome for scrapbookers!!

[Shelly Hickox]

Great tutorial, Marjie! Love the way you've used the Texture Fade.

[Alie Hoogenboezem-de Vries]

Lovely tutorial...it looks great Marjie...love the picture :-)

greetings, Alie :-)

[Valerie-Jael]

Funpiece, love the photo you have used! Valerie

[Eileen Bellomo]

Very cool layout; makes me think of getting back into scrapbooking. Sigh....so many projects, so little time.
Oh, and good luck with the studio reorganizing! when you're finished, come over here, LOL.

[Julie Case]

Love your spooky layout! Thanks for the great tutorial :)

[Corrine]

Sweet way to remember the almost grown up fella. Nice tip on the shim, I've had that happen too. xox

[linda]

What a cool page! Love the spider web in the corner and the techniques - some I haven't used before. I have that texture fade and I'll have to get it out and use it - thanks!

[Susan]

I could fit five more pictures on the rest of that paper! LOL

[Lisa H]

great! Thanks for the tip on using shims. I'm going to try that. I get that problem with the paper tearing sometimes.

[Jeeves]

Scary :)

[Beverly S]

Beautiful layout. Your use of color and the placement of the focal point makes for great balance. Well done!

[Alexa Noble]

Great tutorial and the finished page looks fantastic!

[Terry]

What a fabby layout, Marjie! Love the Halloween theme! Happy Weekend!

[Anita Houston]

You'll have to go read my comment at F&F!!! Lol! Fabulous page Marjie!

[Marja]

Beautiful tutorial and beautiful work Marjie.
Lovely greet and nice weekend
Marja

[Judy Shea]

Love love your page Marjie. There are so many Halloween pages that are possible.. I just love what you did.

[Carolyn Dube]

I love how you have the focus on the cutie in the photo and still have so much themed goodness for the eye to take in all along the page!

[Lisa S.]

Wow Marjie, this is fabulous and I love having all of your terrific pictures to see how you created this. :) Thanks for taking the time to do that.

[Sharon]

Wow great effect!!

[debby4000]

Absolutely brilliant Halloween layout, love it.
Thanks for joining us at Simon Says Stamps Challenge.
luv
Debby

[Silvia]

A fabulous Halloween LO, great use of the texture folders.

[Helen Tilbury]

I love your mini-tutorials Marjie! They really help me - thanks!!

[Donna]

What a great tutorial or mini-class, Marjie, thank you for sharing. The photos are adorable, and the layout is fabulous!