Cow Art and World Dairy Expo #WDE12

Wow!  We're heading to World Dairy Expo in Madison, Wisconsin, in a couple of weeks, and there is so much to do!  One of the things is (obviously) to take art to sell.  While doing inventory last week, I snapped a few random pictures of some of the cow art that will be headed to the event.

Have you seen our World Dairy Expo exclusive jewelry charm yet?  I wanted a special way to celebrate our inaugural attendance at this year's expo.  It's a limited edition and can be bought at WDE or ordered online.

If you're old school like me and still need a bookmark (I don't know how I could ever go digital on cookbooks), you won't want to miss our magnet cow bookmarks.  They're strong enough to clip several pages at a time.  (and if you have decided you have enough cow decor in your house, there will be other country designs as well)

I have to tell you how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE our bags with cow art by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.  They come in several different sizes (small purse size all the way up to a beach bag) and are the perfect fashion statement to show your dairy girl pride.

If you're a fan of realistic paintings of dairy cattle, you won't want to miss the art of Robert Duncan.  His paintings also come in cow card sets with blank insides, making them perfect for any occasion.

Just in case you thought we didn't have anything for the Jersey folks, be sure to check out our Jersey Jug jewelry charms.  Fifteen percent of the sale of each charm goes to fund American Jersey Cattle Club youth scholarships.

Looking for a 'little' something to take home to someone as a souvenir?  Our farm animal night lights easily fit into a suitcase or carry on bag and will be cherished by the recipient.  These lights have a 1/3 watt bulb and emit a soft glow.

So what you do get someone who has everything?  How about hours of entertainment putting a cow puzzle together.  Choose from two designs, Holstein or Jersey, both with artwork by Robert Duncan.


You can find Cow Art and More at World Dairy Expo in the Coliseum, main concourse, booth 62 (across from Alpine Ridge Embroidery).  Will we see you there?

Friday's art article - Central Florida cow art in ag

In case you missed it, Cow Art and More and several of its artists were featured in the November 2011 issue of Central Florida Ag News. Missed it in your mailbox? Read the issue online! (Find us on pages 7, 9, and 38)

Packing cow jewelry for shipping

Wonder what happens when you place an order for cow and cowgirl jewelry on Cow art and More? Wonder if the little minions are filling your order or if it's even filled by some big warehouse with lots of forklifts driving around? This short video shows you exactly how your order is carefully packaged and shipped to you!

Giving Thanks for your favorite charity

Thanksgiving is the annual U.S. holiday that allows us to stop and give thanks for the blessings in our lives. Cow Art and More is no different. We are thankful to have the opportunity to showcase the best in agricultural art (and the best customers I might add). The stories you share with us about how our art has brought so much joy to your life are truly a treasure. This month, we would like to say THANK YOU by helping three different charities (and here's where we need your help).

Cow Art and More will give a silver jewelry charm each to three worthy charities to include in their fundraising activities. We know that many groups have yearly auctions and/or raffles and work very hard to find donations for these events. We want to help.

1. Please send an email to info@cowartandmore.com with a brief description of your group and what you will do with the charm.
   
2. Explain what the donation proceeds will help you do and include a picture if you can. The responses will be included on our Facebook fan page.
   
3. The three winners will be announced Thanksgiving Day. (By the way, you can encourage your friends to comment on our Facebook page to help plead your cause!)

Thank YOU for the opportunity and we look forward to helping others this month.

Cow Art and More Oct e-news

Looking for advice on how to pick the right glass for a picture frame? Need a link to print your own Halloween candy bar wrappers? Missed the news about the two new artists we added to our gallery? Check out the October edition of the Cow Art and More e-news. (And by the way, it's free!)

Lost Wax Jewelry Casting Process - How silver jewelry is made

As many of you know, in making silver cow jewelry, I send it out to a small company in Maine to get the original model reproduced. I don't make the multiples myself because it's a labor intensive process and requires a lot of equipment. I've been on the search for a good video that explains the lost wax casting procedures and found this one is a good fit. It is from another jeweler showing how he reproduced a couple of wedding rings, but the process is still the same. It does lack, however, in some captions that I think would be helpful to explaining how it's done, so I will sum it up in a nutshell here:

1. You start with an original model (either out of wax or a metal model).
2. Make a mold of that model.
3. Inject that mold with hot wax to make replicas of the model.
4. Put all the models onto a 'tree'. The base of the tree is on raised circle called a button.
5. Surround the tree with a can and investment (plaster).
6. Heat the can and investment so the wax evaporates. Then you are left with a negative space.
7. Heat the appropriate amount of metal and fill the negatives space in the tree.
8. Dissolve the plaster in water and cut the metal pieces off the tree.
9. Finish and polish.

New LOWER silver cow jewelry prices

What goes up, must come down....eventually. Precious metals prices are finally showing signs of a continuing downward price. As I have promised to customers in the past, when metal prices come down, so will jewelry prices. Woo hoo! Enjoy lower prices on all the sterling silver cow jewelry charms, charm bracelets, and snake chain necklaces effective immediately! (And as always, excellent customer service is at no additional charge.) I can't guarantee how long this will last and suggest buying now for Christmas.

Common mistakes when buying jewelry for a gift

Part of making jewelry and interacting with customers also means that I have learned the do's and don'ts of buying jewelry for a gift. These are the top 5 "blunders" I've seen people make when buying jewelry and my advice on how to prevent them.

1. Not knowing the details. I have actually had men buy earrings for a gift and not know if the woman had pierced ears. Wow! Major gamble! Find out as much information about your lady as possible. A good start is to find out a ring size, bracelet size, preferred length of necklaces, color preferences, metal preferences and any allergies.

2. Getting her something she doesn't have. This is only a good thing if you have heard her say that she wants a ".....". For example, if she doesn't own any bracelets, there may be a good reason why. Maybe she has a job where it gets in the way or she would have to take it off frequently. Take a quick inventory of her jewelry and get an idea of what she prefers or take notes the next time you are window shopping together.

3. Not considering the "what ifs". Is your jewelry purchase sizable? Can you return or exchange it if she doesn't like it? What if she likes the pendant but wants a different chain? Understand the exchange and return policy on the jewelry BEFORE you purchase it.

4. Buying something that doesn't go with her body type. Believe it or not, how a piece of jewelry is shaped or formed impacts how it looks on a person. For example, round earrings do not look good on a woman with a round face. A small pendant on a short chain isn't particularly flattering to a curvaceous woman with a large bustline. When you're buying the piece, get the person helping you to give suggestions or even the model the jewelry if necessary to help with the decision making process.

5. Buying something that doesn't go with her style. Buy her something she will wear! If she doesn't go to a lot of fancy occasions, she may not get a lot of wear from a big, fancy cocktail ring. Inexpensive earrings may be a better fit for daily wear. If she does a lot of work with her hands, a ring may not hold up to her rough schedule, but a necklace might fit the bill.

I am always happy to help shoppers with their gift purchases! There is also a group of articles on the Cow Art and More art resources page that art collectors, enthusiasts and jewelry collectors may also find helpful.

What is a typical day like at Cow Art and More?

The first thing, is that there is never anything typical about running an art gallery (or any other business for that matter). Certain days of the week have certain patterns, but I'm glad there is always a bit of flexibility in what I can do.

Regardless of the day of the week and whatever is scheduled, the first thing I focus on every morning is taking care of orders that need to be filled. If an order is being filled from Cow Art and More headquarters, I make every effort possible for it to ship the same day and mail those orders off early. I also check orders in the middle of the day, if I'm in the office, and try to fill them in time to catch a late pickup at the post office. (There is a drop station close to me that picks up mid-morning and late afternoon.) If a package doesn't ship the same day the order it is received, it will go out the next business day. (We ship 6 days a week.) If a customer has placed an order for art that ships directly from the artist, I make sure the artist has received the order and is set to ship.

Generally, I have at least one day a week that I call and office day. On this day, I usually write blog posts for the week, list new art, update the website, correspond with artists (current and potential), pay bills and take care of other tasks from the last few days that need addressing. I also do some planning for advertising, mailings (postal and electronic) and our printed catalog.

If it's a day that I have veterinary work scheduled, I get up an hour earlier to give me time to get through my emails. First priority goes to filling orders from overnight and second priority goes to taking care of urgent emails. Otherwise, other important emails might have to sit until I have another office day to go through them.

In case you're interested, these are a few of my favorite products I use here in the office that help me remain productive and provide excellent customer service:

• Endicia internet postage. I can buy the postage online, weigh packages and envelopes in my office and print out the appropriate amount all from my own computer. All I have to do then is drop items in a postal box. (I also do something similar for my FedEx and UPS packages too.)
• Grasshopper toll free phone number. It's an inexpensive way for me to have a toll free number for customers to call.
• Paypal. Not only does Paypal handle all our online transactions processed through cowartandmore.com, but I can also invoice people directly for their purchases. (I have to do it this way for international purchases since the default for our shopping cart system does not allow purchases outside the United States.)
  
• Having a really good assistant. Unfortunately, my assistant graduated college back in May, and I have yet to find a suitable replacement. I'm hopeful that when school starts again in a couple of weeks, I will find another good one.
• Shelves and bins. Part of running the Cow Art and More office is storing the art we sell (including the jewelry). Being organized is absolutely essential. Trips to home improvement stores are on an as needed basis to get whatever I need to make this happen.

What else would you like to know? Was this what you were expecting?

How does a cattle veterinarian become a jewelry artist?

It is a rather interesting combination isn't it? I love every minute of being both; veterinary medicine allows me to serve the agriculture community and the jewelry and art nurtures my creative side. So just how did all this get started? I am reposting a blog entry from October 2010 with a few additions in red type.

*This is reposted from October 2010.*

It's hard to believe this collection of cow art has been online for two years now! (Actually, it's almost 3 years now. Our official first day of business was September 1, 2008.) I have loved every minute of making art and connecting with cow art lovers worldwide. One question I continue to get asked, just how did this get started?

I decided to become a veterinarian when I was 11 or 12. (I promise, I will get to the question at hand.) (I really don't remember what precipitated that decision, but I remember being a young girl and decided that was what I was going to do.) Once I made that decision, I knew I had to do everything possible to get into veterinary school. This meant taking lots of science based classes and other academic classes to get me into college. While I took art classes in high school here and there, they just didn't fit into the schedule to take as many as I would have liked.

I went on to college, still with a love of art, but still with a desire to go to veterinary school. Veterinary colleges spell out very clearly what it takes to apply. Unfortunately art classes aren't a prerequisite. While I took a few arts and humanities classes in college, I didn't get to fully investigate any potential art talents. In fact, I didn't do any art activities in college. Looking back, I wish I had done some of that.

The hard work and dedication paid off. I was accepted to veterinary school and headed off with zeal. This time, there was not even the option of taking art classes. (imagine that -- although I insisted on using colored pencils to draw what I was learning in histology class) I continued to explore art museums when I had the chance, but veterinary studies still took priority.

When I graduated veterinary school, I took my first job as a cattle veterinarian and moved to Florida. While I wasn't crazy about living in Florida, I did love that art and culture seem to be the "norm" here. In the spring and fall, there are regular art festivals and within the city of Gainesville, (where the University of Florida is and where I live now), visual and performing arts are just a way of life. Call it karma, call it destiny, call it fate or call it pure dumb luck, but I know if I hadn't moved to Florida, things wouldn't have turned out the way the have. (I can't remember why I took this cow's picture, but I suspect it was because she had quite the special head wrap from her favorite veterinarian. Thinking now it must have had something to do with a dehorn job if things were bleeding enough to warrant a head bandage. Anyway, it's an example of what I do as a cattle vet.)

It was in the summer of 2001 that, at a friend's barbecue (in fact, another large animal veterinarian), I met a well known local jewelry artist. She explained that she was teaching a beginner level metalsmithing class in a couple of weeks and suggested I take it. I did and I was instantly hooked. That was the beginning. Actually, too, that was the beginning of a great friendship as well. The jewelry artist, whose name is Susan, has been incredibly giving with her time and knowledge. I will forever be grateful for inspiring my artistic talents.

That year for Christmas, I made jewelry gifts for close family and friends. It was after a friend of my mom's saw the necklace she was wearing and asked if I could make her one too that I made my first sale. I continued to take a few classes from my original teacher. She was impressed with my skills and encouraged me to apply for art shows. I chose a small local show, applied, and was accepted. (I think my reaction was, "OMG, they accepted me??!!?? Now what do I do?") That was October 2002.

In the summer of 2003, I had the opportunity to study at the Penland School of Craft. Now you might think as someone who might be considered "intelligent" would have a huge advantage. Yeah...not so. I joked that I was the class moron. Everyone else in the class was in some stages of an art degree, not to mention the first person I met in the class that day had just finished a huge sculpture for the city of Rochester, New York. Somehow when the others asked if I had been published, I don't think they meant the articles I co-authored in the Society for Theriogenology journal.

Okay, maybe this isn't going to work, I thought. But once again, call it fate, karma, destiny or pure dumb luck, the teacher of the class (who was a replacement for the original teacher who had been in an accident), was a gifted jewelry artist who's father was what else? A veterinarian! The teacher and I hit if off in a big way, and I was pretty lucky to get the equivalent of a bachelor of fine arts degree crash course in two weeks. After that is when things really started clicking for me.

While I was making jewelry during this time, it was much more "artsy". My agriculture friends asked if I made cow jewelry. I simply looked at them like they had 3 eyes and replied, "No." As much as I love cows, I really didn't want to make jewelry of them. Veterinary medicine doesn't leave much room for creativity and I really wanted to do something different when I was in the studio. As I realize now, though, I just hadn't found the right idea yet. (The pendant at left is from 2004. It is a pin/pendant of chrysocolla, sterling silver and bronze.)

My farm friends continued to pester me about making a line of farm jewelry. It wasn't that it was a bad idea, I just wanted something extra special. I wanted something very unique and classy, but most of all realistic. While attending a local veterinary meeting in the fall of 2007, I saw someone selling charm jewelry pieces of cats and dogs. (It was more like, "What are all those people doing in that booth?" It was so crammed full of people that it took me a couple of minutes to get to the counter to see that it was cat and dog jewelry. Oh yeah -- major light bulb moment.) It was then that the idea of the cow jewelry came to me. After doing a little visual research on the internet, I realized I had some unique ideas to make realistic farm jewelry. I knew my experience within agriculture would allow me to make cow jewelry that not only I found to be realistic, but agriculture enthusiasts would too.

Along the way of my jewelry career, I also met other artists who had a fascination with cows and created art representing them. I thought it would be great to include them in my venture as well. The planning for Cow Art and More began in the spring of 2008. I began production of the charms and recruited other artists to become a part of my "family". I officially launched Cow Art and More on September 1, 2008, with a few charms and a handful of artists. I now represent over 25 cow art artists and have 7 charms, with 3 more to launch any day now. (Left is my rosette charm, shown in 18 K yellow gold).

I'm very enthusiastic about the future of Cow Art and More. I was excited to be asked to sell cow art at the 2011 National Holstein Convention and honored to have coordinated the unique stained glass trophies given last month at the All American Red and White Holstein show in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. It is quite satisfying knowing that the beauty of agricultural art can bring joy to people's daily lives.

Isn't it great how things work out? I never would have guessed in a million years this is where things would be.

What did I miss that you're still wanting to know more about?

Gallery founder and jewelry artist Kathy Swift donates a portion of jewelry charm sales to charity

Cattle veterinarian, artist, and gallery owner of Cow Art and More, Dr. Kathy Swift donates a portion of sales of her new jewelry charm for the National Holstein Women’s Scholarship Organization (NHWSO) at 2011 National Holstein Association Convention held in Richmond, Virginia, last month.

Swift is personally interested in assisting the NHWSO since she was a recipient of the association’s scholarship in 1990.She grew up in Virginia on her family’s registered Holstein farm and as a teenager, earned a Distinguished Junior Holstein Member Finalist award.

Ida Ruby, president of NHWSO, contacted Swift for assistance in fundraising for their scholarship fund. Swift has been supportive in the past, donating jewelry and gift certificates to the NHWSO silent auction, held annually at the Holstein convention. Swift agreed to donate a portion of the sales on the much anticipated new charm, a milk bottle, which debuted at this year’s convention.

Ruby said “Kathy's contribution of the charm and future sales of the charm made our 2011 silent auction a HUGE success. This is our main fundraiser. This year we had 20 applicants apply for our scholarship. We were able to award six $1,500 scholarships! Thanks to Kathy and Cow Art and More.”

In addition to donating a portion of the proceeds of all charm sales, Swift donated the first charm off the production line, which sold for $290 in the silent auction.It was initialed by Swift and came with a letter of authenticity. “Normally, I keep the first one off the line for myself, but I knew it would be special to include it in the NHWSO silent auction,” states Swift.“I am very happy with the money it helped to raise.”

Swift’s avid fan base will now have the chance to purchase the milk bottle charm online or by phone.In addition, fans have the ability to sign up for email notifications on newly added hand-picked selections, tips on art care, and trends for this summer from Swift personally.

Swift adds, “I believe strongly in helping the next generation along with their many endeavors. I know, without a doubt, that I wouldn't be where I am today without the same help."

About Dr. Kathy Swift and Cow Art and More

Cow Art and More is the art gallery where “art and agriculture meet.” The gallery website includes handpicked art selections from more than 25 artists including ceramics, paintings, jewelry, photography, glass and much more. Cow Art and More insists on providing personalized customer service including timely order shipment and a money back guarantee.

Dr. Swift obtained her Dairy Science degree from Virginia Tech and her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from The Ohio State University. She currently practices in Florida.In addition to her art and veterinary careers, she focuses on her job as mother to three young children. For more information on Swift and her art, visit the Cow Art and More About Us page.

Packaging cow jewelry orders - Cow Art and More

Wonder what happens when you place an order for cow and cowgirl jewelry on Cow art and More? This short video shows you exactly how your order is carefully packaged and shipped to you!

Cow Art and More at the Holstein convention

In case you missed at the Holstein convention last week, we want to catch you up on just how the booth finally came together!


This was our "blank slate". The booth came with a covered table, two chairs, 3 foot sidewalls and an 8 foot backwall.











I had the convention center staff add 8 foot tall polls with connecting horizontal bars around all sides. This allowed me to add lights to the top of the booth.

You can also see I hung ivory drapes in the back (I wanted the art to hang on a neutral color) and wood floor design foam tiles on the floor. (Yes, that is one of my peeps putting them together.)





I put the table along one of the sides and covered with the chocolate colored table cover. I then set up pedestals along the back and in the front corner of the booth. The Cow Art and More booth was also on the end of the row, so I had the show staff take off the outer side rail to allow traffic to flow easier.







The finished booth with cow artwork in place! The great majority of our art was of Holstein cattle, but a few Jerseys managed to sneak in too.











The two wooden framed drawings were the original ideal Holstein and ideal Red and White Holstein done by Gary Sauder. The stained glass piece in the center right was done by the McIntyres and had one of Gary Sauder's ideal Holstein cow prints in the center.








We had several Holstein prints by Jo Lynch. This same design is also available as a cross stitch pattern.











"Bessie the Cow" made her debut! She was just added to the Cow Art and More gallery this week. She was also a big hit with the kids since she was hanging out on ground level. Bessie can be displayed indoors, but is meant to live outside and enjoy the weather.














In addition to having the new Holstein cow bookmarks, we also had flower and bird designs from the same artist at Palmetto Cat Designs.
















We also debuted our new farm themed nightlights (and sold out)! These will be listed soon on Cow Art and More. Be sure to keep an eye on our new products section.










In addition to having the Out to Pasture and Over the Moon tote bags by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson, we also showcased bags with the Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky image by Robin Maria Pedrero.















Of course we couldn't come without bringing our Southern Living star, "Lazy Afternoon" by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson. She looked the regal part watching over the Cow Art and More booth and was sold to a farm in Virginia before the show was over.













By far, one of the favorite things of the convention was visiting with dairy farmers from across the country. America salutes what you do and I am honored to represent your passions in artistic forms. We will also be posting our success in helping the National Holstein Women's Scholarship Organization raise money for their scholarship through the sale of the milk bottle charm.

New sterling silver jewelry charm

I am proud to announce the new jewelry charm has arrived! Enjoy the solid sterling silver milk bottle as a way to show your dairy pride (and help a worthy charity in the process).



Click here to order the sterling silver milk bottle charm

P.S. Order this silver milk bottle charm through Thursday, June 23, and receive FREE shipping!

Art show display fabrics

I'm not done getting the pedestals ready for the National Holstein Convention, but thought I would take a break from that to show you about some of the other fabrics I will be using. Even though our booth will be coming with drapes and a table cover, I am bringing my own. Why? The show management picked the colors and they're not the kind that I would say "go with art gallery decor". I want the art to display at its best!


These 8 foot tall drapes will hang along the back of the booth. They are an ivory color and will be the background for a couple of hanging canvas art prints by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.










I have an "earthy, chocolate brown" for the table cover. This will give the table a sophisticated, yet country feel. It will also go nicely with the "wood" floor tiles.

Jewelry display cases

Now that the pedestals are on their way to being done, I wanted something a little extra "secure" for the jewelry. Don't get me wrong, farm people are some of the nicest, most honest people in the world, but how does the saying go...."Trust in God, but lock your car." I've done art shows before and had jewelry stolen, so I know the potential exists. I also needed wood planks cut for a shelf, so to get both projects done, I gave my local art show, woodworking buddy a call.

This is Bill. He makes wooden boxes and other assorted pieces from exotic woods. He is also a man after my own heart as he has completely converted his garage into his studio (same here). I needed him to cut some wood boards and dowel rod, along with drilling some holes into the medium density fiberboard pedestal tops. Bill is pretty good about figuring out the simplest way of doing things. I just need to go to him with an idea.












I think I caught him off guard a couple of times. He's used to working without a flash....or an audience.

















Without a doubt, I know he got this job done better and faster than I ever could have. He's got the best in tools, including a laser sighted wood saw. Pretty slick!
















I don't know what the technical description is of the technique here, but he's doing a partial drill out of circles for the dowel rod pieces that are going to support the glass for the jewelry display.















No art studio is complete without a mascot. This is "Steve", of the rare breed, "Florida brown dog". Steve was a stray dumped in Bill's neighborhood a few years ago, and he's been hanging here ever since.















The construction is done! The wooden dowel rods are holding up a piece of glass. The jewelry will be displayed underneath. Not high tech or high security, but enough to make someone give pause.

More on the pedestal construction this week!

Friday's art video - How to add charms to a charm bracelet

Want to know how to add charms to a bracelet yourself? I've created this short video to show you how to do it in just a couple of minutes with a few tools.

Jewelry charm to be sold for college scholarship endowment

Dairy veterinarian, artist and owner of Cow Art and More, Dr. Kathy Swift is donating a portion of profits from her brand-new sterling silver jewelry charm for the National Holstein Women’s Association Scholarship Organization (NHWSO) at 2011 National Holstein Association Convention in June.

Swift is personally interested in assisting NHWSO since she grew up in Virginia where she spent most of her time in her family’s registered Holstein farm. She is devoted to the Holstein industry, as a teenager she earned Distinguished Junior Member and was recipient of the National Holstein Women’s Association scholarship in 1990.

Ida Ruby, president of NHWSO, contacted Swift for assistance in fundraising. Swift has been an active participant in the past by donating jewelry and gift certificates in silent auctions. Swift agreed to donate a portion of her profits on the much-anticipated new charm that will debut at this year’s convention. “When Ida (Ruby) called to ask if I would help with their next fundraiser, I didn't hesitate to answer, ‘of course!’ Winning the NHWSO scholarship was something that made a big difference in my life and I am happy to help others with their education." Swift added, “I believe strongly in helping the next generation along with their many endeavors. I know, without a doubt, that I wouldn't be where I am today without the same help at that time in my life."

Swift’s avid fan base will have to wait until the convention to know more details about the upcoming debut of the charm. Swift wanted to tell everyone, “I am very excited about the newest charm. It is something customers have requested, and I hope everyone will love it as much as I do."

Blunders men make when buying mother's day jewelry

*By popular request, I am resharing this blog post, originally posted in May 2010.*

I know Mother's Day is a very popular time for men to be buying the mothers in their life a special piece of jewelry. These are a few of my observations about the biggest mistakes men make when buying jewelry for a gift.

1. Not knowing the details. I have actually had men buy earrings for a gift and not know if the woman had pierced ears. Wow! Major gamble! Find out as much information about your lady as possible. A good start is to find out a ring size, bracelet size, preferred length of necklaces, color preferences, metal preferences and any allergies.

2. Getting her something she doesn't have. This is only a good thing if you have heard her say that she wants a ".....". For example, if she doesn't own any bracelets, there may be a good reason why. Maybe she has a job where it gets in the way or she would have to take it off frequently. Take a quick inventory of her jewelry and get an idea of what she prefers or take notes the next time you are window shopping together.

3. Not considering the "what ifs". Is your jewelry purchase sizable? Can you return or exchange it if she doesn't like it? What if she likes the pendant but wants a different chain? Understand the exchange and return policy on the jewelry BEFORE you purchase it.

4. Buying something that doesn't go with her body type. Believe it or not, how a piece of jewelry is shaped or formed impacts how it looks on a person. For example, round earrings do not look good on a woman with a round face. A small pendant on a short chain isn't particularly flattering to a curvaceous woman with a large bustline. When you're buying the piece, get the person helping you to give suggestions or even the model the jewelry if necessary to help with the decision making process.

5. Buying something that doesn't go with her style. Buy her something she will wear! If she doesn't go to a lot of fancy occasions, she may not get a lot of wear from a big, fancy cocktail ring. Inexpensive earrings may be a better fit for daily wear. If she does a lot of work with her hands, a ring may not hold up to her rough schedule, but a necklace might fit the bill.

I am always happy to help shoppers with their gift purchases! There is also a group of articles on the Cow Art and More art resources page that art collectors, enthusiasts and jewelry collectors may also find helpful.

Friday's art article - Precious metal and jewelry prices

If you're on the Cow Art and More mailing list, you may have received an email yesterday explaining that jewelry prices will be going up effective May 1. As I write this, the price of silver has gone up 50 percent since the beginning of the year. I have grappled with trying to keep jewelry prices at reasonable levels in this economy, but unfortunately, the amount of metal used in a piece of cow jewelry is the number one influencing factor in the final price of the jewelry charms, bracelets and necklaces. As the price of sterling silver goes up, I'm faced with the daunting task of managing shrinking margins with affordability to the customer. (I won't get into showing you a bunch of graphs and reports, but you can go to kitco.com and research silver, gold and platinum prices for as many months or decades as you want to.) While absorbing minimal to moderate changes in the price has been tough, I simply cannot absorb that big a price change in the raw materials without it impacting the final retail price.

So you may be asking yourself, "Why is the price changing so much?"

Simply put, precious metals also serves as an investment vehicle. As the United States economy continues to be on shaky ground, precious metals continues to grow in popularity across many economies as a way to protect against a weakening U.S. dollar. Unfortunately for those of us who use the actual metal (versus investing in shares or futures of the product), we are faced with a smaller supply available for us to use in a finished piece of jewelry, flatware, sculpture, etc.

While there are the labor costs associated with producing an actual piece of cow jewelry, the amount of metal used in the charms, necklaces, pendants and bracelets is by far the largest influencing factor. All I can ask is for your understanding in this time of price increases and know that I will HAPPILY lower prices once the precious metal markets come back down.