gistfile1.xml

<Window x:Class="MainWindow"
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
    Title="MainWindow" Height="350" Width="525">
    <Window.Background>
        <LinearGradientBrush StartPoint="0,0" EndPoint="0, 1">
            <LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
                <GradientStop Color="White" Offset="0.0" />
                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.4" />
                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.5" />
                <GradientStop Color="Black" Offset="0.6" />
                <GradientStop Color="White" Offset="1.0" />
            </LinearGradientBrush.GradientStops>
        </LinearGradientBrush>
    </Window.Background>
    <Canvas>
        <Grid 
            Background="#80C00000"
            Width="150"
            Height="300">
            <TextBlock>This is layer 0.</TextBlock>
        </Grid>
        <Grid 
            Canvas.Left="100"
            Background="#80FFFF00"
            Width="250"
            Height="300">
            <Button VerticalAlignment="Center">OK</Button>
            
        </Grid>
        <Grid 
            Canvas.Left="200"
            Background="#400000FF"
            Width="250"
            Height="300">
            <ListBox Opacity="0.75">
                <ListBoxItem>Item1</ListBoxItem>
                <ListBoxItem>Item2</ListBoxItem>
            </ListBox>
        </Grid>
        
        <TextBlock
            Canvas.Top="100"
            Canvas.Left="5"
            FontSize="25"
            Text="I'm going to fade into the background...">
            <TextBlock.Foreground>
                <LinearGradientBrush StartPoint="0, 0" EndPoint="1, 0">
                    <GradientStop Color="White" Offset="0.0" />
                    <GradientStop Color="Transparent" Offset="1.25" />
                </LinearGradientBrush>
            </TextBlock.Foreground>
        </TextBlock>
    </Canvas>
</Window>