???? ????‍♀️????????️????️????⚰️HAPPY HALLOWEEN! Paige Evans here with a new layout all about Halloween 2018 using my Truly Grateful collection with Pink Paislee and a Halloween Wreath cut file.

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SUPPLIES: Patterned paper, stickers, die cuts, Thickers: TRULY GRATEFUL; gesso; white acrylic paint; white paint pen: Sharpie; Watercolors: Pastel Dreams and Tropicals by Prima; white cardstock; Die cut machine: Silhouette Cameo 3; Cut file: Halloween Wreath by Paige Evans

I started by die cutting my Halloween Wreath cut file from textured white cardstock by American Crafts using a Silhouette Cameo 3. I spent a few hours backing all the little pieces with a rainbow of colored patterned papers from Truly Grateful. Not your typical orange and black Halloween colors, but it makes my heart so happy seeing all the bright colors!

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On a purple patterned paper background, I did some mixed media work. I started by drawing a circle with a pencil under where I wanted the cut file to go and then covered it with a layer of gesso using my fingers to smudge it into the background to create a smoky look. I like how this tones down the background so the colors will pop off of it and it’s also a necessary step for watercolors so they don’t soak into the paper.

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Once the gesso dried I pooled water all over it and then dropped and splashed watercolors into it, trying to match the color of the backed cut file that would be over it. Once the watercolors dried I splashed watered down white acrylic paint on top and then dried the background with a hairdryer.

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The background was pretty warped after all that mixed media business so I ran it through a Minc machine three times to flatten it. Worked like a charm! I added the backed cut file on top with foam squares for dimension and tucked a photo of my kids into the left side. Then I added the “HAPPY HALLOWEEN” title higgledy-piggledy around the inner part of the wreath using the colorful Truly Grateful Thickers. I sprinkled stars from the cardstock stickers, puffy stickers, and epoxy stickers all around the wreath tone-on-tone for texture.

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I grabbed some pumpkins in the ephemera die cuts, distressed the edges, and tucked them into the right side. I covered the “grateful” sentiment on one of the pumpkins with number stickers from my stash to document the year. I added a “happy place” sentiment banner also from the ephemera die cuts above the photo along with a bluebird for fun and to bring out that pop of blue color. A few other elements were added into the clustering of embellishments: a pink flower with distressed edges & a purple pumpkin and three mushroom stickers (all with distressed edges for texture). To finish I wrote journaling next to the photo with a white paint pen by Sharpie.

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I hope this layout inspires you to break from traditional Halloween colors and create bright & spooktacular holiday pages! It’s a fun challenge!

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Thanks for stopping by and have a safe and happy Halloween!

~ Paige Evans