Hippo Hooray

The theme for this month's Paper Smooches challenge is birthdays.  I paired the theme with the current challenge at CAS Colours and Sketches to create this adorable animal themed birthday design.

My focal image is a small scene using the hippo image from PS's Zoo Crew stamp set.  I colored the hippo with Copic markers and cut it out with the coordinating die, then used foam tape to adhere the image to a sky/grass background panel.  I matted the scene on kraft cardstock before positioning it on a blue card base over a layered fishtail flag strip.  Originally I had planned to just use the aqua grid strip, but it was lost on its own, so I added the green layer beneath it.  I finished the scene with a pinking circle "sun" and a shimmery white die cut cloud at the top.  The set's "hippo hooray" sentiment was stamped directly on the cloud.  It fit perfectly!  The "happy birthday" from the PS classic Sentiment Sampler set fit perfectly underneath the image panel to finish the card.

Materials Used:
Zoo Crew and Sentiment Sampler stamp sets, Zoo and Clouds dies (Paper Smooches); Memento Tuxedo Black ink (Tsukineko/IMAGINE Crafts); markers (Copic); Soft Sky and Shimmery White cardstock (Stampin' Up!); Harvest Gold and Kraft cardstock (Papertrey Ink); Gumball Green cardstock, Fishtail Flag STAX and Fishtail Flag STAX Layers dies (My Favorite Things); Aqua Screen patterned paper (Recollections); pinking circle dies (Spellbinders); foam tape