My 2011 IFJM Wrap Up

I had a ball doing my "Flat Mickey" fake journal. I made myself and my family laugh at some of her antics. I got to research and look at beautiful pictures of an area that I would love to see someday. I've still got quite a few pages left, but I'm a little tired of sketching red rocks. LOL! I may retire Flat Mickey altogether, or I may take her out for short trips in the future to fill the pages.

I have decided that I really, really dislike the small blue Cheap Joe sketchbook that I was using. It's not really watercolor friendly, even though there is a picture of a paintbrush on the cover. The color leaked through in spots. It scuffed up or tore when I used artist's masking tape to frame my "photo" sketches. The paper buckled quite a bit. Nothing could be lifted once down, and it was hard to soften an edge. I have another of these sketchbooks that I've used a few times for my "Maine sketchbook", having much the same problems with it. I think the next time I travel to Maine, I will take that one along for pen or pencil only, and start another one with watercolor paper.

I plan on keeping a fake journal again next year. Luckily I have 11 months to think of what to do next.

My Petroglyphs Updated

I updated the petroglyphs, adding the Grand Canyon, the oars from the imagined rafting trip, pottery, condor, hiking boots, hoodoos, cairns, a Roz stick figure, and a symbol for the arm injury. This completes my fake journal for now. There are pages left, so Flat Mickey may take another trip some day.

Zion National Park

This is the last stop for Flat Mickey's trip. Tomorrow I will update the petroglyphs and that will be the end of the fake journal entries for this month.

Roz at the Slot Canyon

Another Roz sighting - this time at a slot canyon at Zion National Park.

Hoodoos

The Hoodoos At Bryce Canyon remind me of making sand castles on the beach.

Inside the Arch

Of course, Flat Mickey had to have her picture taken inside the famous Delicate Arch.

Arches. Arches, Arches

Flat Mickey is at Arches National Park, wishing that she could sketch every rock formation in the park.

Petroglyphs 2

I enjoyed the petroglyphs so much that I decided to make my own to tell the story of my trip. More symbols will be added when I visit new places.

Petroglyphs

Me in front of the petroglyphs at Mesa Verde. Petroglyphs are symbols and pictures engraved on the rocks to tell the story of the tribe.

Cliff Houses and Pottery

Visiting the Anasazi Cliff Houses is one of the main attractions at Mesa Verde. And the almost modernistic designs of the ancient pottery unearthed there are so beautiful.

The Big Ladder, Mesa Verde

Flat Mickey encounters a tall ladder and another Roz sighting.

Ouch!

(Editor's Note) I (Michelle) actually did injure my right arm this weekend tripping over a tree root. It's feeling a bit better and I am able to sketch and write now. I thought it would be fun to have Flat Mickey have a similar accident.

Roz Sketches the Condor

"Today I came across an artist named Roz Stendahl, who was sketching one of the famous California Condors who inhabit the park. They are still pretty rare, but they can be seen up on the ledges at the south rim. Roz said that she likes to sketch birds."

Rafting Wishes

Flat Mickey thinks about how much fun rafting could be.

Here I am at the Grand Canyon

Here I am at the Grand Canyon. What an awesome sight! I plan to do some sketches while I'm here.

Cathedral Rock

This is the last Sedona page. Tomorrow Flat Mickey will move to the Grand Canyon.

Hiking in Sedona

This is a two page spread. The left page is a "photo" of Flat Mickey on the trail, and the right page is the journal entry and some of FM's sketches.

Westward Ho!

This is the first page of Flat Mickey's journal, dated April 1. I used a Cheap Joe journal, 7 x 10, a Micron Pigma pen, and transparent watercolors. First I drew a Flat Mickey cutout, then sized it down to fit the page. I searched online to find an itinerary of places where I would love to hike if I was young, fit, and had the money to travel. I started with Sedona, AZ and found lots of photos of the area.

About Flat Mickey and Her Journal

Last year I stumbled across Roz Stendahl's "International Fake Journal Month" blog, and was intrigued by the concept of a fake journal. I decided that this year I would create one too. A little background on my fake journal. I had seen Roz's fake journal blog last year and had decided that when April rolled around again, it would be fun to do one myself. I wanted it to be a travel journal to places I would like to go, but I wasn't sure how I was going to work it out. Then, a few weeks ago, I saw a photo of a friend on Facebook, and in one of her vacation photos she was holding her grandson's "Flat Stanley". In case you aren't familiar with the program, kids make a paper cutout and send him to a pen pal at another school or to a family member who will then take the cutout on a typical day's outings, or in this case, on vacation. They take photos of themselves holding the "Flat Stanley" and write a journal entry about what he did that day. Aha! I made a "Flat Mickey" (cheating a bit since my character isn't supposed to have my own name). I didn't send it to anyone, but instead planned an interesting trip for her, and she started writing in her journal on April 1. My sisters and I used to create our own paper dolls when we were kids, so I had fun dressing Flat Mickey in her hiking gear. She is going to be taking "photos" and sketching as she hikes in the Southwest. This could be a lot of fun, and/or a lot of work. I hope I follow through and don't start procrastinating like I usually do about sketching. LOL Oh wait! I'm not doing the sketching - Flat Mickey is, and she is much more motivated than I am.