Getting cow art ready for holiday sales

Believe it or not, we've been gearing up for the holidays since the beginning of October. Everything from making sure we have enough cow art inventory to designing the postcards mailing out to customers today. Here's a few random pictures from the office today showing what's going on:

Our postcard mailing is going to the post office today.  (Thanks to hubby for taking it there for me.)  We send out our postcards bulk mail, so we have to address and organize them before they go.

You can't be ready to ship anything out without having plenty of shipping containers.  Our items go out in either padded envelopes or cardboard boxes of some kind.  (We also try to recycle and reuse boxes when possible.)

When shipments go out from the Cow Art and More office, we send them with a package tracking number. Customers can easily track their packages through the appropriate website (USPS, UPS or FedEx)  (By the way, we don't send them smudged either -- but I didn't want to violate anyone's privacy by sharing package shipping information.)

And yes, we do have print catalogs!  It's an abbreviated version of our online catalog and generally only includes our best sellers.  If you have online access, going to the Cow Art and More website is still the way to go, but for those with dial up internet or no internet at all (gasp!), we are happy to mail a catalog.

What are you doing to get ready for the holidays?

Q & A with Wendy Marquis Part 10

What would you like to do more of in the future?

Large paintings of farms, buildings, trucks and herds of horses, sheep, goats, or cows and beautiful skies.

Picture credit: "Beef cow painting on handmade wooden tray"

Click here to learn more about this unique cow gift

Art that's good enough to eat

Need a unique and interesting way to promote your event? Cow Art and More is excited to announce that artists Amanda Raithel and Robin Maria Pedrero have their cow art available on candy bar wrappers. Personalize the wrappers with your organization or event's details. These are also good for groups looking to sell them as a fundraiser. It's the perfect memento!

Each Hershey's chocolate candy bar is carefully wrapped with a foil wrapper, then the cow art wrapper. The last step is to package each in a cellophane overwrap (not shown). The candy bars are carefully shipped with an ice pack to prevent melting in transit. Prices start at $2.35 each for a minimum order of 10 bars. (Shipping is additional.) Price breaks are available for quantity purchases.

Due to the delicate nature of packaging and shipping these cow art novelties, orders are only taken by speaking to someone at the Cow Art and More office. Please allow 10 business days for delivery.

Cow Art and More loves bringing the best in agricultural art to the agriculture community. We also love working with our customers and enthusiasts as "farm folks" are some of the best people out there. When Cow Art and More was asked by a customer to create something special for the Michigan state Brown Swiss Grand Champion show award, we were happy to take on the challenge! After some thought by jewelry artist and gallery owner Kathy McComb Swift, a collaborative effort between glass artist Mary McIntyre and painter Gary Sauder was forged and came up with this beautiful result!

This stained glass box measures approximately 8 inches by 10 inches by 2 inches tall. The lid is hinged and opens all the way to reveal a mirrored inside. Customers may choose one of Gary Sauder's "ideal type breed" dairy cow prints to place into the lid. (Beef cattle images to be announced soon.) The boxes are made upon ordering and require up to two weeks for delivery. They are expertly packed in styrofoam and shipped via UPS ground.

It is our hope that this piece of art will grace a desk or coffee table of the worthy Grand Champion winner. We are happy that we can be a part of helping someone remember their special day.

While we look forward to making more of these as show awards, we also expect people will like to give them as wedding, birthday, anniversary and graduation gifts. Looking to have yours personalized a little more? Please contact Cow Art and More. We are always happy to help.

(And THANK YOU to our fans, friends, and customers for allowing us to serve all your COW ART needs.)

Q & A with Beth Dunn: Part 8

Do you ever have goof ups or work you don’t like?

Most all of my works are the result of at least one goof-up. That is how I taught myself layering (digitally) because if I liked one aspect, but not the whole, I found out I could add a layer and manipulate until I found a balance I liked.

Photo credit: "Cow Apron"

Click here to learn more about this piece of cow merchandise

Q & A with Beth Dunn: Part 3

What is your technique?

Digitally, my technique is layering. I use a lot of color and texture in my digital work. Traditionally, my technique is inspired by emotion and the type of medium I have chosen for that particular piece--mostly free-form.

Photo credit: "Cow Coffee Mug"

Click here to learn more about this cow ceramic mug