Hippo Birthday! (Craftin Desert Divas)

I printed him on some Neenah Solar White card stock and colored him in with Spectrum Noir markers (hippo: BG1, BG4, BG6, BG8, BG10, hat: JG1, JG6 + IG2, IG3; confetti: gold gel pen). I just discovered this brown gray combi and I am obsessed with it!
I wanted to create a watercolor background. I used Distress Inks (Shabby Shutters, Peacock Feathers, Cracked Pistachio), pressed them onto a slick surface and spritzed them with a perfect pearls "Pearl" water combi. It creates such a nice shimmer. Unfortunately you can't see it in the pictures.


After the background was dry I sprinkled some more ink onto it. This time I used Gansai Tambi watercolors (#50, #55). To assemble the card I wanted to give the background a little bit more interst. I embossed a scrap of paper with Metallic Gold Sparkle embossing powder from WOW, cut it into two strips and adhered it on both sides of a standard note card. Then, I adhered the watercolor panel to the note card as well and attached the little hippo and the confetti with foam squares and glue dots. I cut the sentiment into place and adhered it with foam squares as well. For finishing touches I also applied some Irresistibles Shimmer to the fluffy parts of his hat and it's toes.