ORANGE you glad today is the Fiskateer Blog Hop?

ORANGE you happy to be a Fiskateer? Get ready to bounce through the Fiskateer Blog Hop. If you came from the blog of Debby's Dare, you are in the right place. If not, go back to the Fiskateer blog so you start from the beginning and don't miss a "scrap" of ideas and fun.

Orange you thinking that September is a great time to make a calendar? Orange you ready to see what fabulous Fiskars tools I've used? Orange you hoping I stop over-using "orange"?

Here is my orange creation...I made this calendar as a sample for my daughter and her friends. It was their crafty project for my daughter's 13th birthday party. They all thought they would be perfect for hanging in their school lockers.

I rescued an 11"x17" piece of cardboard from the recycle bin and covered it with 2 sheets of 12x12 paper. I had the paper hang over the edges on the top and bottom and I used a hot glue gun to secure them. You can wrap the sides too, if you like, but I chose to cut it.

Next, I punched circles from cardstock (using my Round and Round squeeze punch)and then placed the negative paper (with the hole) into a scalloped circle punch (Seal of Approval) .

I centered the hole...

and made a "flower".

By mixing and matching punched circles (that I "popped" with Zots) and flower rings, I created a garden. With some Thickers, I spelled out my daughter's name for the top of the calendar. I added a bow too.

I had a blank calendar page (from Close to My Heart, but you could easily print one out from your computer) and slid it into a page protector (that I trimmed to fit on my 11" wide cardboard). You can put another blank calendar on the back side, so that you can lift it up and plan 2 months at a time.

Using my FAVORITE Fiskars border punch, Apron lace, I added some ORANGE patterned paper to my calendar to cover the place where I glued on the page protector to the cardboard. I also made a pocket at the bottom of the calendar to hold notes and other important "stuff". I added a ribbon at the bottom to slide on some paper clips--one more spot to hang notes.

Everything is better when Stickled, don't you think? A little sparkle makes these die-cut butterflies dazzly!

Since I used a page protector to cover the calendar, it is perfect for use with a dry-erase marker. Rachel is thrilled that I had to make a "sample" for the party, because this calendar is now hers. Won't her teacher be thrilled that she is so eager to practice her numbers?

Come back next week to see what the birthday party calendar artists created...what a talented bunch!

NOW, would you like some happy mail? Leave a comment, and I will pick on Sunday at 6pm (via Random.org) a lucky winner to receive some scrappy goodies.

Boing! Boing! Keep on hopping...next stop...Colleen Flathers at http://cleancreate.blogspot.com/.

If by some chance, you just happened to stop by my blog today and you have no idea what Fiskateers are or why I keep raving about ORANGE, let me explain. Fiskateers is an on-line community. Actually, it's a family. No, we are not related, but we have all come together to celebrate our love and appreciation for Fiskars products. Whether you love the endless scrapbooking supplies (squeeze punches, border punches, paper trimmers, micro-tip scissors, stamps), rotary cutters, garden tools, or their famous orange-handled scissors, Fiskateers is a place for you. At the website, inspiration is abundant. The site has a gallery of AMAZING creations by other Fiskateers, games, chats, swaps, tutorials, and 7000+ friends. It is a place for all things crafty (and sewing and gardening too). If you are interested in becoming a Fiskateer, click here. Contact one of the lead Fiskateers: Angela, Cheryl, Rebecca, or Tami (I listed them alphabetically so they think I don't play favorites), and tell them Kellystar sent you over. Your crafty life may never be the same.