This is the slideshow that I sent my neice, Tyler, for her "Flat Stanley" project - a school project where the student a.k.a. Tyler, creates a flat doll out of their own likeness with a manila folder. Tyler then mails it to me with instructions to photograph myself with the doll. than their own. make and send a paper doll of of herself to me. My task was to take the doll and photograph myself/my with the doll, and send then photos back to her. I'm sure some of you have been the recipient of a so-n-so's "Flat Stanley" doll. A few year's ago, a friend's mother because the recipient of one of these "Fflat Stanly" dolls, and I gave her some her some ideas, since I had already done it twice - and I had been a Washington, DC tour guide for a number of years.

1. Flat Tyler’s Trip
to Auntie Sarah’s House
February to May 2011
by
Flat Tyler
(a.k.a. Flat Magical Butterfly Princess Tyler)

2. Hi Tyler,
I arrived at Auntie Sarah’s house
late this afternoon. I did not enjoy
spending three days in an
envelope, so I’m glad to be here.
First thing she did was introduce
me to her beautiful dog,
Savannah.
Auntie Sarah and Savannah live
together in Alexandria, Virginia.
Sarah is about
Savannah.

3. Auntie Sarah said she would love for
you to come and visit her one day.
She said that the best way to know her
is to spend time with her in her sparkly
home.
Here are some photos of her artistic
creations with light and color.

4. Ceiling
Ceiling
As if by magic,
As if by magic, the
the
sun
sun catches
catches
Wall
Wall the crystals
the crystals from
from
the windows and
the windows and
creates visions of
creates visions of
shimmering light onto
shimmering light onto
the ceiling
the ceiling and
and
walls.
walls.

5. She loves to make
She loves to make
trees from wire and
trees from wire and
crystal.
crystal.
See all those
See all those
beautiful shadows
beautiful shadows
and reflections?
and reflections?

6. She likes to paint,
She likes to paint,
too, but she doesn’t
too, but she doesn’t
have anymore room
have anymore room
on her walls. Her
on her walls. Her
paintings are large
paintings are large
and her house is
and her house is
small.
small.
The egg (above)
The egg (above)
and banana (below)
and banana (below)
are 4 feet wide.
are 4 feet wide.

7. After the house tour,
After the house tour,
Auntie Sarah said
it was time to
clean up the
garden.
What a mess!

8. At the end of our
At the end of our
long day, the garden
long day, the garden
looked a little better.
looked a little better.
Savannah and I took
Savannah and I took
a snooze in the dirt.
a snooze in the dirt.

9. magical.
realize HOW
I just didn’t
n,
garde
n the
hard i
ed so to the
se I work h her
Becau go wit
d me to
invite ow
how !
Sarah ry Sh
ellry S
Jewe
& Jew !
Gem &
Gem place
at it is a
old me th
She t

10. We were having a wonderful time – walking
around looking at all the sparkly jewels.
And then something VERY strange happened.
One minute I was looking at the
beautiful opals, and the next minute…

11. …I was falling through the galaxy into a
sparkly, yet , black hole.
I have no idea what happened to me
during the THREE MONTHS that I was
away.
…but as quickly as I disappeared into
that black hole –
I mysteriously reappeared…
…But I was no longer Flat Tyler.
Somehow I had become…

12. a FLAT, magical,
butterfly princess
Tyler
New Flat Tyler!

13. AT FIRST, I had
so much fun.
I love being a
magical butterfly
princess!
I can fly
EVERYWHERE!

14. THEN
I realized that
Sarah was
MISSING!
See Savannah’s
forehead?
She is
WORRRIED
about her
momma.
Savannah and
I looked for
her
EVERYWHERE!

15. We didn’t find
her before
bedtime.
So we tucked
ourselves into
bed.
Savannah
didn’t sleep a
wink!

16. In the middle of the night, I was
awoken by a ceramic WITCH dressed
in violet – surrounded by circles of
sparkling lights.
She told me that Sarah had not been
a good Auntie because she had lost
track of me at the Gem & Jewelry
Gem & Jewelry
Show
Show!
I begged the witch to tell me what she
had done with Sarah.

17. She looks pitiful,
doesn’t she?

18. And then the lights went out…
It was very dark.
And then….

19. There were flashes of
color EVERYWHERE
– the walls, the floors,
the ceilings!

20. And then it was dark again.

21. I awoke a few hours later – in Sarah’s garden.

22. During the night, the flowers in the garden had magically grown!

23. I flew inside the house to look for Sarah and Savannah.
They were both sleeping soundly. Sarah had turned into a regular-looking
person again… So, I guess the witch forgave her.
…But I am still a flat magical butterfly princess.
Before Auntie Sarah loses me again and I turn into something I don’t want to be,
I am sticking myself back inside an envelope, and I’m mailing myself home.
I think FedEx will be faster than flying; I’m still getting used to my beautiful new
butterfly wings.
See you in a few days.
Love,
Flat Magical Butterfly Princess Tyler