Cow art pictures from Pennsylvania

I'm FINALLY sharing more pictures of the Cow Art and More booth from the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show. My apologies for not having these up sooner, but last week was just NUTTY! Seriously. I don't know how people travel all the time and keep up with a business and family life.

Anyway....here there are!


We had more of the puzzles with two of the paintings by Robert Duncan. These 1000 piece puzzles are the perfect gift. You can also see some of the Holstein card sets by Robin Pedrero and the iPhone cases by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson.














We also had an assortment of bookmark magnets by Palmetto Cat Designs. In addition to the Holstein bookmarks, we had flowers, flags and chickens.















The nightlights by Spotlight Designs were also a big hit. It's funny to see them be popular with all age groups. Apparently, you're never too old to have a nightlight.
















We showed off the stained glass box trophies we did for this year's Red and White Holstein show along with an example of a black and white Holstein piece with colored glass.
















Of course we couldn't go to the show without bringing along our favorite accessory: bags! We had tote bags by Elizabeth St. Hilaire Nelson and Valerie D'Ortona. These bags are perfect for the beach or trip to the grocery store.















Of course the weekend wouldn't be complete without some art prints. At left is "Holstein" by Jo Lynch.

















Cow Art and More also had prints of the popular "Grazing Beneath a Garnet Sky" by Robin Maria Pedrero.


We had a great weekend and we so excited to meet our many fans! Thank you for the hospitality!

Shipping cow art to the PA All American Dairy Show

So this all sounds familiar right? Pack a vehicle, travel north. Well, this time I'm doing it a bit differently. I packed the majority of what I will need for the PA All American Dairy show (art, display materials, etc.) and shipped it via a packing crate.


Bessie the metal cow will be making an appearance at the show again. She was a hit, especially with those kids that were on her level.











The art display pedestals and their tops are on their way again. They pack nice and flat, but are a bit wide (24 inches). The size of these pedestals are the reason why I got the size crate I did.








The crate just fit into the back of my vet truck. My kids were excited to see this big box in the back of my truck.











I ended up using UPS freight to ship my crate to Pennsylvania. In order to get the best shipping price, I had to take it directly to the shipping depot in Ocala, which is about an hour away. (My business doesn't have a loading dock or a forklift, so it was going to cost a lot more to have a truck come directly to the office.)

Notice the tailgate of my girly girl vet truck doesn't come even with the loading dock? This will become important in a minute.



The first attempt to get the box off my truck with a forklift (or as my kids say "Guido" -- a tribute from the Cars movie) didn't work. It just couldn't reach the pallet to scoop it up.

Go to Plan B.








The UPS freight guys were super nice and used a hoist and the forklift to get it up on the dock. Now we're cooking.










And here is its home -- for a couple of days anyway. Actually, as I write this, the crate is already there. I shipped it last Friday. The process actually went a little easier than I was expecting.

Now, to shove everything else in two suitcases. Yeah, that's not going to be as easy as I thought.

Getting ready to travel north

Getting ready for our second live event in two months has surprisingly been a bit easier this time. I've got one show under my belt and the booth is essentially built and ready to go. So what could be different this time? Since the show is at the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show this time, and our headquarters in Gainesville, Florida is a good 1000 miles or so away, getting there will be the challenge this time.

In decided when and how I would get there came down to a few things:

1. Getting the art there. In order to drive up with the art, I would need to rent a cargo van or a large mini van. (Is there such a thing?) Otherwise, I could ship everything there ahead of time.
2. The time involved with getting there. To drive, it would be two days up and two days back driving. Flying would be faster, but more expensive?

Here's how it worked out:

I couldn't find a van large enough with unlimited mileage. By the time I rented the van, paid for the gas, and spent four days traveling (as opposed to two if I was driving), it was more cost effective to fly. Since I'm flying, I needed to find a way to get the art there.

That's where this thing comes in: I'm packing all the materials in a shipping crate and having them freighted up there ahead of time. Believe it or not, freighting the booth materials and art up and back PLUS a plane ticket is cheaper than driving.

Cow Art and More to attend the PA All-American Dairy Show next month

Cow Art and More will attend the 48th annual All-American Dairy Show September 17-19th in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Last year’s All-American Dairy Show included over 2,400 animals with 925 exhibits from 26 states along with Canada.

Gallery owner, Kathy Swift, is excited to be invited to participate in this premier event in the dairy industry. She adds, “We’re excited to showcase our art for the first time in the northeast. We’ve been expanding our art offerings and look forward to having it on display.” This event gives her audience an opportunity to view her latest charm, a milk bottle that she debuted earlier in the summer at the Holstein Convention in Virginia.

Cow Art and More booth will display a demo art gallery that includes handpicked art selection from various artists including ceramics, paintings, photography, handbags, and novelties. Visit Cow Art and More as an exhibitor in the trade show area and experience where “art and agriculture meet.”

For information about All-American Dairy Show, visit http://www.allamerican.state.pa.us/

Monday's agriculture website of interest: 2010 ALL AMERICAN DAIRY SHOW

Today's agricultural themed website to share with blog readers is for the Pennsylvania All American Dairy show, going on this week in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The show is in its 47th year. Over 2400 animals and 925 exhibitors are expected from 26 states and Canada.

The show will highlight registered cattle from the seven major dairy breeds and also has a showmanship and judging contest for youth participants. For those unable to make the show, two groups are sponsoring webcasts to allow fans to watch from their computers.