Journal January 2011 - Days 20 and 21

Almost caught up! And it is only the middle of February!!!  Oh well....I've been working very hard on another project which involves a LOT of lino cutting.  Had to give the hands a break today so I decided to do a couple of journal pages.

Day 20 prompt was our front door. Well, my front door is uninspiring to me...especially right now for several reasons.  SO.....I decided to expand the topic and chose one of my very favorite door photos to use for this page.  This "door" is from a very old building in a very small town in northeast Texas.  I like this so much. It is the door to creativity!  And why not?????  Did my journaling in the "brick" patterns I drew on the page.

Journal January 2011 - Day 20 - Door to Creativity

Day 21 prompt was Bluebells.  Well, you gotta understand.....this Texas girl couldn't even think of doing blue flowers without doing BLUEBONNETS!! The Texas state flower.  This is my favorite mental picture of Texas.....a vast field of bluebonnets in the Hill Country of Texas with a couple of live oaks just over the ridge.  It evokes deep emotions even now.  Even though I haven't lived in Texas in many many years.  Guess you just can't take the Texas out of this girl after all.......at least in some part of my heart.

Journal January 2011 - Day 21 - Bluebonnets



Well, only three more day to do to catch up on the Journal January 2011 project!  Might do another one this afternoon.......we'll see.



These are some of the most fun photos I've gotten to take in a while. The photo swap is themed for old sheds and shacks. Here are four of my favorite shed and shack photos in my collecton.


Shed As Billboard
Found this shed out on the back roads of rural MN. Someone decided to give it the new job of advertising.

Shed Near Rogers
This shed is just up the road a ways just outside Rogers.

Northwoods

Found this shed hidden way back in the trees up in the Northwoods of MN.

Stillwater Shack
Found this beauty on the way to photograph a lift-bridge in Stillwater, MN. If you look closely you can see straps holding up the little room on the side of the shack.

Sometimes I wonder just what I find so absolutely mesmerizing about old falling down structures. Something to do with their history and character...

ATCs from yesterday's studio time

Oh yes there are more! I'm working to complete my obligations for these swaps and then get onto some other projects that have been calling my name a lot lately.

Another photo swap for ATCs.  This one is Autumn Splendor.  Needless to say, in Minnesota I have plenty of photo opportunities for this one.

Autumn Waterfall
On the east bank of the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. This is a small waterfall in Fr. Hennepin Bluffs Park near the area of St. Anthony Falls.

Tree On The Corner
This tree is actually on the corner of my street in Rogers, MN.

Urban Autumn
View from Nicollet Island in the Mississippi River toward downtown Minneapolis.

Autumn Sumac
Sumac along a path in Fr. Hennepin Bluffs Park in Minneapolis.

I don't think there are many things more wonderful than wandering through the outdoors in Autumn in Minnesota!

Bridge Photos

Well, it took me a few days to recover from the harrowing evening of trying to get a night photo of one of my favorite bridges.  But I finally got them printed and mounted on ATC cards for the very first ATC swap I get to  hostess!!  Here they are:

Third Avenue Bridge
The Third Avenue Bridge is the longest S-curve shaped concrete arch bridge in the world. The bridge was completed in June of 1918. The curves in the bridge were dictated by the rock in the upper level of the Saint Anthony falls. By the 1970s, the Third Avenue Bridge had deteriorated badly. Due to cost, it probably would have been cheaper to abandon the refurbishing project and tear the bridge down, but the city decided to continue. The refurbished bridge opened in late 1980.

Stillwater Lift Bridge
The 1931 Stillwater Bridge, spanning the St. Croix River, was the last vertical-lift bridge to be completed. The 140' central span is engineered for a rise up to 51'.

Stone Arch Bridge
Completed in 1883 for Manitoba Railway, this is the only arched bridge made of stone along the entire length of the Mississippi River. It curves over the river just below St. Anthony Falls. It was built of locally-quarried limestone and granite, and also limestone quarried in Iowa. In 1994, the Stone Arch Bridge became a pedestrian and biking bridge.

Father Louis Hennepin Bridge
The Father Louis Hennepin Bridge - The location of this new bridge was the site of what is believed to be the first permanent bridge over the Mississippi River. The original very important bridge over the Mississippi River is now the most beautiful bridge (especially when lit at night) on this river. The first bridge was built in 1854 and was opened on January 23, 1855. The new bridge was opened in September of 1990.

While the photos are all mine, I want to thank and acknowledge John Weeks for his thorough website page of the bridges in the Minneapolis area.  There are so many more.  Here is a link to his website:  http://www.johnweeks.com/highway/bridges.html

Thanks, John!!

And the Beat Goes On!!

Well, at least the ATCs go on........and on.....and on.......

Theme of this group is Old Churches.  We had so much fun driving around looking over the treetops for interesting steeples!  One of the most fun hunting trips ever!  Here's what I found!

The first is the Basilica of St. Mary - Recognized as one of the finest examples of Beaux Arts architecture in the country, the Basilica of St. Mary was constructed in Minneapolis between 1907 and 1915. It's also the first Basilica in the United States, honored by Pope Pius XI in 1926. And it has been named to the National Regtister of Historic Places.

Next is Scandia Church - One of the earliest of the Swedish Baptist Churches in Minnesota, Scandia Baptist Church was founded in 1855. The diary of the carpenter who worked on the Scandia church building was used by Moberg in the writing of his famous trilogy about Swedish Immigration.

 Third is St. Katherine's Ukranian Orthodox - St. Katherine Church in Arden Hills, MN is designed in the Ukranian Baroque Architectural style. The Cathedral of Sophia in Kyiv provided the inspiration for the design of St. Katherine Ukranian Orthodox Church.

 And last but not least is St. Constantine Ukranian Catholic Church - The area of Northeast Minneapolis is home to a large Ukranian population. One of the oldest congretations is St. Constantine's Ukranian Catholic Church established in 1913. It has a beautiful domed roof.

As you can see, the Minneapolis area has a significant Ukranian population!  There are several other churches I photographed but those will have to wait for another time!

Additional ATCs

Was it I who said I was done making ATCs for a while?????? hmmmmmm NOPE! Must have been someone else! Anyway, I'm afraid I must admit to addiction. Can't seem to say NO when a really interesting one crosses my e-mail......no thanks especially to WIL!!!! heheheh

So, here they are with the titles of the swaps for which they were done.

Postage Due - Must use stamps in the ATC design

  

Photo swap - Doors

   

   

   

That's it for today.  I have a photo swap of interesting old churches but I'm re-doing one of them so I'll wait until I get them all together.  Stay tuned for upcoming ATCs!!!  OH yes...there are MORE coming.....................