Enjoy your retirement - a relaxing garden scene
See how to use Distress inks as watercolours while creating this peaceful garden scene, then distress the edges to give a shabby chic look.

Distress the edges of a 11.5x17cm panel of patterned paper, add a border of contrasting paper, wrap it with string and affix it to the card front.
Stamp the design onto a 9.5x15cm piece of white cardstock, Apply a small amount of each Distress Ink onto a glass mat to create a colour palette. Pick up each colour in turn with a waterbrush and begin to colour the image. To prevent the colours from running into each other, work on different sections of the image while the previous area is drying. Stamp the bird and squirrel onto white cardstock, colour and cut them out.
Once the focal panel is dry, distress the edges, mount it onto the card front using 3D foam pads, and add a string bow and the animal toppers.
Stamp and heat-emboss the sentiment onto a grey banner, affix it to the card front using 3D foam pads and embellish the card front with a paper flower to finish.