http://www.birdandbee.co.uk BirdandBee : Blog http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/Blog/2009/10/30/bird-and-bee-full-moon-newsletter/ Birch Moon: (18th October 05:33 - 16th November 19:13) Full Moon: 2nd November 19:14 Hello Friend, Autumnal greetings from Bird&Bee. Bird&Bee have been busy bees this year. We have a brand new website which is packed with pictures, blogs, knowledge bank, commissions, projects we're working on and a new shoppe! All 2010 Moon Stock is in and ready for order. We have some special offers on too at the moment. We will be releasing special offers with every Full Moon News Letter. The Moon Mug has landed - beautiful, brand new product. Firewood Collection Prints available now - brand new product. New Website launched today - Please give us your feedback. 2010 Moon Calendars available now. This year sees Bird&Bee approaching 10 years of producing The Original and Unique Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar. We also have some brand new and exciting products designed and made by Bird&Bee. Come take a look. Lunar Wheel 2010 Calendar Poster Lunar Wave 2010 Calendar Card Moon Mug 2010 Calendar Mug Brand new Website - www.birdandbee.co.uk With the new found freedoms of being solely self-employed and the pressures of modern family life in Britain to contend with, we have finally got around to updating our old website. Much loved as the old one was - it was time to add more functionality and content to it! The new site is designed to be easy to navigate and have flowing and updated content. Please give us your feedback! Tea & Wisdom "Put the kettle on, make a brew, step out into the night and consider the Cosmos a while..." Bird&Bee loves a cup of tea - especially Earl Grey - my hot beverage of choice! Over the years we have been asked many a time if we will make an annual moon calendar to go on the side of a mug. This took time to develop as we wanted it shiny and of a very high quality! Now we have found a way to do this successfully and make it work - we hope you like it. The style of the mug was also important as some are too big, some too small; some to thick to drink from and some too thin. We think we have got it just right. The Moon Mug is made right here in Britain - NOT produced over seas and shipped thousands of miles across the oceans. How it is cheaper to do this does not make any sense - let's keep production here in Britain! Moon Mug 2010 Firewood for Free Politics has gone mad, money is scarce, MP's are struggling to claim their expenses and, amazingly we may be faced with a change in the law to stop us from foraging for deadfall wood to heat our homes (a civic law that has been around since the Magna Carta - c.1215). With all the goings on in Beautiful Britain this year it is sometimes difficult to see the wood for the trees. In the last few years there has been a resurgence in the use of wood burners, multi-fuel stoves and open fires to heat our homes. A sustainable, cheap and a more human way of heating our homes! 'Bird&Bee's Firewood Collection' is born. A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source - wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. Take a look here. Written and Designed by Bird&Bee it depicts our 40 British Trees and their characteristics as firewood. Bird&Bee's Firewood Collection Special Offers To kick start the new website we will be offering some special offers every new moon. The Birch Moon Special Offer will give you free shipping on orders over £50 and we will also pay the credit/debit card processing fees (4%) up until the next Full Moon (2nd November 19:14 - 2nd December 07:30). Payments are made via PayPal, which you will be directed to when you complete your order from our Shoppe. You do not have to be a member of Paypal to pay!.... Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:42:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/Blog/2009/10/29/the-moon/ Bird&Bee’s Moon The Moon has an immense force on us, animals, the seas & oceans of Earth, it fires the imagination and gives light to us in the dark of the night. At a distance of 240,000 miles, the Moon is our nearest heavenly neighbour. Her radius is 1,080 miles compared to our Earth’s radius at 3,960 (a ratio of 3:11). The Moon is not perfectly spherical & consequently the same face is always looking at us. This gives her a ‘Dark Side’ unseen from Earth. The orbital plain of the Moon is tilted from Earth’s by 5.15o enabling periodical eclipses to occur and a fluctuation of altitude, moonrises and moonsets. Something in the Water We are all 78% water at birth and Earth is 75% covered in water - a coincidence you might say - not so. The gravitational pull of the Moon has a considerable effect on us as it does with the ebb and flow of the oceans & tides. Heed it’s movements well and you will be in step with the wax and wane of nature throughout the year. Using the Moon Cycle Different folk use the Moon cycles for all manner of uses. From checking there own cycles, looking for the next full moon, finding the next eclipse, astrological divining, planting and gardening by the moon, determining the rising or setting of the sun, or as an astronomical waymarker in the passing of time. We hope you find it both useful and a joy to look at ­­­throughout the wax and wane of the year. A Day in the Life of the Moon If you live by the sea you are made instantly aware of the power of the Moon, whose invisible hold draws the waters in & out twice daily. Our atmosphere & even the Earths crust are also susceptible to the grip the Moon has on Earth.The Lunar Day is the time between two moon rises. The moon rises roughly 52 minutes later each day. There are two, synchronized tides each lunar day, so each high tide is 26 minutes later every 12 hours. High tides always occur at the same two opposite positions of the moon in the sky at any given location (one being below the horizon). There are 28.5 lunar days therefore 57 tides in each lunar cycle. Lunar & Solar Eclipses A strange coincidence that the Sun & the Moon appear the same size to us earthlings. The Suns diameter, 400 times larger than the moon, is 400 times further away. Solar eclipses occur when the New Moon passes directly between the Sun & the Earth and can only be seen in daytime and casts a narrow corridor of shadow across the Earth. Totality, lasting only a few minutes instilling a sense of elemental wonder in all who are lucky enough to witness this astronomical event. A Lunar Eclipse simulates a whole lunar cycle within hours when the Full Moon passes through the shadow of Earth, visible to all on the night side of the Earth. The two places in a month where the Moon crosses the Ecliptic are lunar nodes. If this happens during a new moon a solar eclipse occurs, during a full moon a lunar eclipse is visible. Eclipses can only occur at this time. This was the way the ancients could trace the ecliptic along the sky; they marked the places where eclipses could occur. Solstices and Equinoxes Longest & shortest days of the year (usually 21st June & 22nd December) are the Summer & Winter Solstices. Equinoxes lie between the solstices balancing daytime& nightime all over the earth. The sun rises exactly in the East & sets exactly in the West (usually on 21st March & 23rd September) on a straight horizon.These events naturally divide the year into quarters, giving four seasons of 91 days. Lunar & Solar Ingress When a planet moves exactly into the first degree (00°00’00”) of a particular zodiacal sign, a chart is then calculated for a particular location. If you do an astrometeorological forecast for London then the ingress chart is coordinated and set for London. Pagan Festivals The mid-points within these quarters are marked as festival days by the ancients, Imbolc (or Oimelc, two names which refer to the lactation of the ewes, the flow of milk that heralds the return of the life-giving forces  of spring), Beltane (derived from ‘biltene’or “lucky fire” because to jump between two Beltane fires was sure to bring good fortune, health to your livestock, and prosperity), Lughnasadh (The Celtic harvest festival takes its name from the  Irish god Lugh, one of the chief gods of the Tuatha De Danann) & Samhain (marking the beginning of a whole new Celtic cycle known today as Halloween). Pagan Moons To each Lunar month a name in was assigned in accordance with the nature of the activity that took place at that time.The Moon of deepest Winter is the Wolf Moon, and its name recalls a time when our ancestors gathered close around the hearth fire as the silence of the falling snow was pierced by the howling of wolves. The Storm Moon comes in silence. Storms blanket the world in coldness, but beneath the blanket of cold & silent snow, Mother Nature sleeps. The Chaste Moon an antiquated word for pure, reflects the custom of greeting the new year with clarity. All of Nature at the waxing of the Seed Moon is pure potential waiting to be fulfilled. As the Hare Moon waxes full, observe the rabbits leaping and the hares sprinting, carefree in their mating and joyful in their games. The Dryad Moon refers to the twin constellations of Castor & Pollux. A time when all things meet their opposites in balance and harmony.A time to gather in the herbs and give thanks to Natures abundance and give an offering under the Blessing Moon. As the Corn Moon progresses the days are hot and late afternoon thunderstorms that bring the cooler air also bring about the ripening of the crop. The Harvest Moon nearest the Autumnal Equinox brings a feast from the yearly harvest to the table. Blood Moon marks the season when domestic animals were sacrificed for winter provisions. As the Winter Sun wanes and the Birch Moon waxes full, the birch-like white of winter sets in. Under Oak Moon the sacred tree of the Druids is most noble as it withstands winter’s blasts..... Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:55:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/Blog/2009/10/29/firewood/ Firewood - Old Folklore Poem Beechwood fires burn bright & clear,If the logs are kept a year,Chestnut only good they say, If for long, it’s laid away,But Ash new or Ash old, Is fit for Queen with crown of Gold,Birch & Fir logs burn too fast, Blaze up bright and do not last, It is by the Irish said, Hawthorn bakes the sweetest bread, Elmwood burns like churchyard Mold, E’en the very flames are cold, But Ash green or Ash Brown, Is fit for Queen with Golden Crown,Poplar gives a bitter Smoke, Fills your eyes and makes you choke,Apple wood will scent your room, With an incense like perfume,Oaken logs if dry and old, Will keep away the winter’s cold, But Ash wet or Ash dry, A king shall warm his slippers by. Trees ENGLISH OAK Quercus robur Probably the best known tree in Britain and an important feature of the English landscape. They live for hundreds of years and have always been important for their timber. The wood has been used to build ships, houses and furniture, but is also renowned for its use in casks for maturing wines and spirits..... Thu, 29 Oct 2009 22:59:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/Blog/2009/11/6/bbordering-issues/ Hello from Bird&Bee. A few of my valued customers are having some difficulty in ordering through the site. We are working hard to rectify some of the little idiosyncrasies that are cropping up with the new system. It is inevitable that there would be a few teething problems but we are on it and working through them. I am going through the process regularly to make it more user friendly but rest assured you can still order form us in other ways: 1: you can email your order to me at shoppe@birdandbee.co.uk 2: You can post your order to: Bird&BeePO Box 3237SheffieldS11 9WJ  Please include your order, your postal address and a cheque for the order amount. You can work this out in the shopping cart or by emailing me.   Light my FireVery much looking forward to a big fire and some sky rockets tomorrow night. We go to our local backwater 'Chelsea Park' on Brincliffe Edge. A gathering that seems to grow and grow over the years. Last night I visited my sister and family in Notts - we went down to Forest Fields to see the Big City Show - slightly short due to cut backs me thinks but great never the less. Stepping outside early this morning, the smell of gunpowder and sulphur was still clinging to the air. .... Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:14:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/Blog/2009/11/18/problems-ordering-use-the-simple-shoppe/ If you are experiencing difficulties ordering  - click on the link below and submit your order request directly to me. http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/shoppe/simple-shoppe/ I will then send a payment request to you. You can make payment via Paypal or any Debit/Credit Card and I will process your order and post it straight out. Thanks for your patience - I am working hard to resolve the issues with the new system. RyanBird&Bee .... Wed, 18 Nov 2009 10:14:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/Blog/2009/11/20/the-winds-a-whistlin-through-the-keyhole/ Now and again the wind becomes so extreme around NO13 (our house) that the wind begins to whistle through our keyhole. With every severe gust it manages to make it's way to the back door and produce a shrill note that reminds us of the forces at work outside. It has become a welcoming and familiar sound but also a reminder of extreme weather conditions that seems to have increased over the years. With floods in Cumbria and Scotland this year already and countless hurricanes and floods around the world we are reminded of the shear force of nature and of the issues risen around climate change. The houses that nestle on the cliff tops on the east coast of  Norfolk are teetering on the edge and may well be gone soon. We visited this place in the summer and whilst the romantic notion of living this close to the sea has great appeal, living in this place must fraught with worry and the inevitability of a watery end to life on the edge. High tides that a drawn in under the full moon around the time of the Equinox are particularly worrisome. This is the time when severe erosion is more likely to occur. In 2007 in Sheffield, we had a major flood that filled the 'Wicker' area for four days and brought central Sheffield to a standstill - buckling roads and leaving debris in it's wake. Over the last two weeks the tree lined streets where we live have changed so dramatically - one day covered in autumnal shades from green to deep red - the next bare branches and tree fall all over the roads and pavements. Is the weather getting more extreme where you are? B&B      .... Fri, 20 Nov 2009 08:42:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2009/11/20/new-moon-news/ New Moon: 16th November 19:14 Full Moon: 2nd December 07:30Blue Moon: 31st December 19:13 Lunar Eclipse: 31st December 19:22 Hello Friend, Welcome to Bird&Bee’s news update.  We hope you are all well and coping with the weather, the sniffles and the onset of Christmas!We are at an exciting time at the moment with Christmas Markets hotting up, the ‘Word on the Street’ sculpture trail planning application going in next week, Creative Practitioner work underway in local schools and we have run out of Moon Mugs (don’t worry more have arrived!). Our Full Moon/New Moon Newletter will give you a flavour of what we are up to, what is happening in the night sky at the moment and any insights offered up in the process of creation….thanks for looking! RyanBird&Bee Tonight's Sky Sun: Rises: 07:40, Sets: 16:02Moon: Waxing Crescent Rises: 11:12 Sets: 18:49Meteor showers: The Leonids can still be seen tonight. Look towards the constellation Leo in the West this evening.Planets: Tonight you can see Jupiter, low in the south west; Mars is visible in the East later tonight   The Moon The Blue Moon’s a coming… A blue moon is a full moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons, which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles, each calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years there is an extra full moon in the same month. This extra moon is called a blue moon and makes its appearance on New Years Eve this year with the added bonus of a Lunar Eclipse! Lunar Eclipse The Moon will be above the horizon for the duration of the Eclipse and is visible from all over Europe, Africa and Asia. Start looking on New Years Eve from 18:30 UT (GMT).Detailed explanation of the 2009 lunar eclipse Website Updates “Thanks Ryan & Sarah, They’re Fabulous! I had a lunar wave card from you last year, so I took a look at your website this time. My husband particularly loved the Firewood poster. I'm part way through a nutritional therapist course in which cleansing in the lunar cycle is recommended, so it's great to have an easy to see yearly calendar. Thanks again.” – Web customer To take a look at the Firewood Collection PrintsThank you to all who have visited our new website in the last couple of weeks. We have lots more to do on it yet, including adding a portfolio of all our current and past projects, tweaking the web shoppe and developing the Miscellanea section as a knowledge bank.Some of you have had problems in using the web shoppe but we have been working hard to iron out the idiosyncratic creases that are inevitable with these things. We have also added a ‘Simple Shoppe’ for anyone who still has difficulties.Send me your order and I will then send a payment request to you. You can make payment via Paypal or any Debit/Credit Card and I will process your order and post it straight out. Christmas Gift Ideas Moon Packs We are offering Moon Packs this year, consisting of a Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar, Moon Mug and Lunar Wave Card all for £18! That’s a saving of £3. Perfect for any Moon Lover. Take a look here Moon Mugs Moon Mugs are proving to be very popular this year - our first year of making them! We have sold out of our first batch so we have made some more in time for Christmas. With a deep blue glaze and a white inner, in fired mirror silver, with silver guilt rim - they make the perfect gift for moon lovers and tea drinkers alike. Why not go for something truly unique and original this year – it’s the only moon mug there is! See the Moon Mug - 4 Pack now available: Save £8 Firewood Collection A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source...wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. £7 each. Reduce your heating bill and heat your home for free! Firewood Collection Peace & Love at Christmas We have introduced a Christmas card bundle this year. Why not send out Peace & Love to all this Christmas. With their vibrant colours and shiny gold and silver foil they are the perfect festive card.These shiny double folded cards come with their own transparent envelope and are made using Wind Power. You can now buy a pack of 10 cards for £12   Enjoyed this Newsletter? Forward it to a friend! The Bird&Bee insignia encompasses: the Bird and Air in the North,
the Dragonfly and Fire in the East,
the Fish and Water in the South
and the Hare and Earth in the West -
all of which revolve and flow into one another. We endeavour to take traditional knowledge from nature and experience and turn it into beautiful design that is both aesthetic and useful, whilst treading as lightly as possible on planet Earth. To us, there is no point in producing anything that isn’t both useful and sustainable. We print everything on paper that has been produced by harnessing the power of the Wind and using 100% recycled paper. Please send us your comments, thoughts and ideas to:Bird&BeePO BOX 3237SheffieldS11 9WJOr you can contact us via email.... Fri, 20 Nov 2009 17:25:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2009/12/1/a-new-decade-awaits/ As the ‘Noughties’ draw to a close we can leave behind us the misdemeanors that have occurred in the last 10 years. Some pretty bad decisions have been made on our behalf, around war and civil rights. We must look to the new decade now as a time to learn from those mistakes and forge a new way ahead. What will the new decade be called? Perhaps the ‘Tens’ or the ‘Teens’! .... Tue, 01 Dec 2009 20:05:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2009/12/2/full-moon-news/ Full Moon: 2nd December 07:30 Half Moon Waning: 9th December 00:13 New Moon: 16nd December 12:02 Half Moon Waxing: 24th December 17:36 Blue Moon: 31st December 19:13 Lunar Eclipse: 31st December 19:22 Hello Friend, Welcome to Bird&Bee's news update. December is here and a whole new decade awaits us - a very special time indeed. We witness the passing of a year, the passing of a decade and a rare occurrence of a Blue Moon and a Lunar Eclipse. So make use of it! As the 'Noughties' draw to a close we can leave behind us the misdemeanors that have occurred in the last 10 years. Some pretty bad decisions have been made on our behalf, around war and civil rights. We must look to the new decade now as a time to learn from those mistakes and forge a new way ahead. What will the new decade be called? Perhaps the 'Tens' or the 'Teens'! We are working very hard at the moment, getting all your orders out within 48 hours. We have just got the next lot of Moon Mugs completed so we will be able to get these out to you within 48 hours now as well. If you happen to be in Nottingham over the next few days then look out for us at the Christmas Market (2nd - 5th Dec) and the Netheredge Farmers Market (Sunday 6th Dec). Any friends who are in and around Sheffield who wish to avoid the Christmas Post please get in touch with me and you can come to No. 13 and collect them in person. If anyone would like any Reclaimed Oak Frames made for Christmas then please get in touch as soon as possible - to give me time to make them. Ryan Bird&Bee Christmas 'Last Posting Dates' These are our recommended Christmas, Last Postal Dates - so please place your orders by 5.00pm the day before: 2nd Class UK & Channel Islands - Friday 18th December 2009 1st Class UK & Channel Islands - Monday 21st December 2009 Airmail Europe - Saturday 12th December 2009 Airmail USA - Thursday 10th December 2009 To avoid disappointment order early. Tonight's Sky Sun: Rises: 07:58, Sets: 15:51 Moon: Full. Rises: 14:34 Sets: 07:22 Meteor showers: Non visible. Planets: Jupiter is visible in the South, Southwest in the early evening. Later on Mars is visible, low in the East - moving towards the South in the early hours. Saturn can be glimpsed too, low in the Southeast in the early hours.     The Full Moon 2nd December The Sun is in Sagittarius and the Moon is in Gemini. The Sun, Moon and Saturn are very prominent in the sky, so I imagine it will be a powerful full Moon. The Blue Moon on New Years Eve A very special time indeed. The passing of a year, the passing of a decade and a rare occurrence of a Blue Moon and an Eclipse. So make use of it! This is a great time to put your intentions into full force. Use the evening to concentrate on the things you want to manifest in the coming year and the coming decade. Shed those negative thoughts and use this powerful time to lay waste to old patterns, create a clear picture of your intent for you and your loved ones, then release them with the Eclipse and setting of the Full Moon. Then let the new Decade begin! A blue moon is a full moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons, which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles; each calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years there is an extra full moon in the same month. This extra moon is called a blue moon and makes its appearance on New Years Eve this year with the added bonus of a Lunar Eclipse! Lunar Eclipse - The Moon will be above the horizon for the duration of the Eclipse and is visible from all over Europe, Africa and Asia. Start looking on New Years Eve from 18:30 UT (GMT). View a detailed explanation of the 2009 lunar eclipse Christmas Gift Ideas Moon Packs We are offering Moon Packs this year, consisting of a Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar, Moon Mug and Lunar Wave Card all for £18! That’s a saving of £3. Perfect for any Moon Lover. Take a look here Moon Mugs Moon Mugs are proving to be very popular this year - our first year of making them! We have sold out of our first batch so we have made some more in time for Christmas. With a deep blue glaze and a white inner, in fired mirror silver, with silver guilt rim - they make the perfect gift for moon lovers and tea drinkers alike. Why not go for something truly unique and original this year – it’s the only moon mug there is! See the Moon Mug - 4 Pack now available: Save £8 Firewood Collection A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source...wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. £7 each. Reduce your heating bill and heat your home for free! Firewood Collection Peace & Love at Christmas We have introduced a Christmas card bundle this year. Why not send out Peace & Love to all this Christmas. With their vibrant colours and shiny gold and silver foil they are the perfect festive card.These shiny double folded cards come with their own transparent envelope and are made using Wind Power. You can now buy a pack of 10 cards for £12   Enjoyed this Newsletter? Forward it to a friend! The Bird&Bee insignia encompasses: the Bird and Air in the North,
the Dragonfly and Fire in the East,
the Fish and Water in the South
and the Hare and Earth in the West -
all of which revolve and flow into one another. We endeavour to take traditional knowledge from nature and experience and turn it into beautiful design that is both aesthetic and useful, whilst treading as lightly as possible on planet Earth. To us, there is no point in producing anything that isn’t both useful and sustainable. We print everything on paper that has been produced by harnessing the power of the Wind and using 100% recycled paper. Please send us your comments, thoughts and ideas to:Bird&BeePO BOX 3237SheffieldS11 9WJOr you can contact us via email .... Wed, 02 Dec 2009 00:05:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2009/12/18/full-moon-news/ Friday 18th December 2009 Bird&Bee's Full Moon News Half Moon Waxing: 24th December 17:36 Blue Moon: 31st December 19:13 Lunar Eclipse: 31st December 19:22 Hello Friend, I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish one and all a Superb Solstice, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I will be celebrating the Blue Moon, Eclipse and the coming of the New Year at Lindisfarne, Holy Island. SO, wherever you may be, look out at 19:30 and see if you can see a shadow creeping across the Blue Moon! Most of us are under a cold snap at the moment so it seems strange to be having the most important meeting in Climate Change history in Copenhagen. We - the people, need to show our support for what might turn out to be the most important human endeavour in modern history - limiting the effects industry and politics has on our planet. You can visit the link to the petition below and sign up - it is already at 11 million people and is now the biggest petition of all time! There has never been a more important time to add your name - our message is being delivered to leaders at the Copenhagen climate summit later this week. Please add your voice P.S. Just to let you know we can still post out for Xmas up to Monday the 21st December. If you don't need anything for Christmas we will be checking in over the holiday to complete orders but back to business on Monday 4th January 2010. Thanks and see you in 2010! Ryan Bird&Bee Christmas 'Last Posting Dates' 2nd Class UK & Channel Islands - Friday 18th December 2009 1st Class UK & Channel Islands - Monday 21st December 2009 The Blue Moon on New Years Eve A very special time indeed. The passing of a year, the passing of a decade and a rare occurrence of a Blue Moon and an Eclipse. So make use of it! This is a great time to put your intentions into full force. Use the evening to concentrate on the things you want to manifest in the coming year and the coming decade. Shed those negative thoughts and use this powerful time to lay waste to old patterns, create a clear picture of your intent for you and your loved ones, then release them with the Eclipse and setting of the Full Moon. Then let the new Decade begin! A blue moon is a full moon that is not timed to the regular monthly pattern. Most years have twelve full moons, which occur approximately monthly, but in addition to those twelve full lunar cycles; each calendar year contains an excess of roughly eleven days. The extra days accumulate, so that every two or three years there is an extra full moon in the same month. This extra moon is called a blue moon and makes its appearance on New Years Eve this year with the added bonus of a Lunar Eclipse! Lunar Eclipse - The Moon will be above the horizon for the duration of the Eclipse and is visible from all over Europe, Africa and Asia. Start looking on New Years Eve from 18:30 UT (GMT). View a detailed explanation of the 2009 lunar eclipse Christmas Gift Ideas Moon Packs We are offering Moon Packs this year, consisting of a Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar, Moon Mug and Lunar Wave Card all for £18! That's a saving of £3. Perfect for any Moon Lover. Take a look here Moon Mugs Moon Mugs are proving to be very popular this year - our first year of making them! We have sold out of our first batch so we have made some more in time for Christmas. With a deep blue glaze and a white inner, in fired mirror silver, with silver guilt rim - they make the perfect gift for moon lovers and tea drinkers alike. Why not go for something truly unique and original this year - it's the only moon mug there is! See the Moon Mug - 4 Pack now available: Save £8 Firewood Collection A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source...wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. £7 each. Reduce your heating bill and heat your home for free! Firewood Collection Peace & Love at Christmas We have introduced a Christmas card bundle this year. Why not send out Peace & Love to all this Christmas. With their vibrant colours and shiny gold and silver foil they are the perfect festive card. These shiny double folded cards come with their own transparent envelope and are made using Wind Power. You can now buy a pack of 10 cards for £12 The Bird&Bee insignia encompasses: the Bird and Air in the North, the Dragonfly and Fire in the East, the Fish and Water in the South and the Hare and Earth in the West - all of which revolve and flow into one another. We endeavour to take traditional knowledge from nature and experience and turn it into beautiful design that is both aesthetic and useful, whilst treading as lightly as possible on planet Earth. To us, there is no point in producing anything that isn't both useful and sustainable. We print everything on paper that has been produced by harnessing the power of the Wind and using 100% recycled paper. Please send us your comments, thoughts and ideas to: Bird&Bee PO BOX 3237 Sheffield S11 9WJ Or you can contact us via email We hope you have enjoyed this newsletter, please forward it to your friends and help spread the word, thank you..... Sat, 19 Dec 2009 18:37:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/9/23/autumn-equinox-full-moon-netheredge-farmers-market/ AUTUMN EQUINOX: 23rd Sept 03:09 ♎  FULL MOON: Harvest Moon  - 23rd Sept 09:17 NetherEdge Farmers Market: Sun 26th Sept 12:00-16:00.We'll be there on Glen Road with Bird&Bee stall and with...'HARMONY' - the Amazing, Automatic, VIctorian, Drawing Machine!Come and say 'Hello' - and have a go.   Ryan.... Thu, 23 Sep 2010 09:44:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/10/22/by-the-light-of-the-silvery-moon/ Silver & Water found on the Moon Nasa said that its mission to fire a rocket into the dark shadows of the Cabeus crater near the lunar South Pole produced a plume of debris including silver and enough water to fill a paddling pool. From the Independent An ambitious attempt to discover the contents of a lunar crater by crash landing a spent rocket has revealed a "treasure chest" of elements on the Moon.  Nasa last night said that its mission last year to fire a rocket into the dark shadows of the Cabeus crater near the lunar South Pole produced a plume of debris containing an astonishing array of volatile substances, including silver and enough water to fill a paddling pool. An analysis of the chemical constituents of the plume, published in the journal Science, shows that 155kg (342lbs) of water ice were blown out of the crater when the Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) hurled its spent rocket section into centre of Cabeus, which is in permanent shadow. Nasa scientists said that the deliberate crash landing into the lunar crater had revealed that the make-up of the Moon's soil and subsurface is more complex than they had previously believed. The soil also contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, sodium, mercury and trace amounts of silver. "This place looks like it's a treasure chest of elements, of compounds that have been released all over the Moon, and they've been put in this bucket in the permanent shadows," said Peter Schultz of Brown University, Rhode Island, one of the scientific investigators on the LCROSS mission. It is believed that many of these compounds have been deposited on the lunar surface by comets and meteorites which have crashed into the Moon over many millions of years. The permanent shade of the lunar craters at the poles has prevented these substances from evaporating back into space, Professor Schultz said. "There's a balance between delivery and removal. This suggests the delivery is winning. We're collecting material, not simply getting rid of it," he added. The researchers estimated that about 6 per cent of the crater's contents could be water ice left behind by passing comets. If other craters at the lunar polar also contained similar amounts of water then there could be enough of this vital substance to sustain a permanently manned lunar base. Until last year, many lunar scientists had thought that there would only be trace amounts of water on the lunar surface, but the LCROSS mission demonstrated for the first time that there were significantly bigger quantities that could prove useful for future manned missions to the Moon. It appears that many of the chemical elements and compounds deposited on the Moon by passing comets, asteroids and meteorites eventually migrate to the polar regions, where the deeper, shaded craters provide permanent protection against the burning heat of the Sun, the scientists said. Nasa estimates that there are 12,500sq km of permanently shaded terrain on the Moon and if the top one metre of this area were to hold just 1 per cent by mass of water, this would still produce thousands of litres of water. Apollo astronauts collected evidence showing that there were trace amounts of silver and gold on the side of the Moon that always faces the Earth. The LCROSS mission produced an impact hole between 70 and 100ft wide and tossed up lunar soil from 6ft below the surface to a height of half a mile, high enough for it to be illuminated by sunlight so that spectroscopic instruments on board another spacecraft could analyse its constituent materials. Mission facts 70-100 The diameter, in feet, of the crater left when the Nasa rocket hit the surface of the moon. 6 The depth, in feet, of the lunar material thrown up by the impact. 800 The height, in metres, of the plume of debris that rose from the crash site. 4 The number of minutes after the collision in which the scientists were able to study the ejecta. 2 The weight, in tons, of the material dislodged by the rocket. Article from:The Independent by Steve Connor, Science Editor    Let's just hope that they leave the thing alone and don't start any ambitious mining plans on the surface of the Moon. You can almost imagine the NASA scientists working out how much life can be sustained on the Moon's surface with a view to building some sort of station on it to start 'real' exploration for extra-terrestrial resources. Bird&Bee     .... Fri, 22 Oct 2010 16:43:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/10/22/bird-and-bees-once-in-a-blue-moon-newsletter-october/ Friday 22nd October 2010 Blood Moon: 7th October 18:44 – 6th Nov 04:52 Full Moon: Saturday 23rd October 01:37 Last Quarter: Saturday 30th October 12:46 New Moon: Saturday 6th November 04:52 First Quarter: Saturday 13th November 16:39 Hello Friend, Autumnal greetings from Bird&Bee. Thank you for supporting Bird&Bee. Home of Bird&Bee's world famous, esoteric and arcane, annual Lunar Wheel [Display it in your dwelling with pride and gaze at it from time to time to keep in tune with the cycles and movements of nature and the cosmos]. Right here, right now. Moon 2011! All 2011 Moon Stock is ready to order. We have streamlined the ordering process in our shoppe to make ordering easier than ever. We are updating the website to incorporate Bird&Bee's Visual Arts projects, Sculpture, Design work and other self initiated projects. More to follow... The Moon Mug has been updated to a Glossy Black demeanour for 2011 – a little touch to differentiate from last years beautiful, midnight blue version. The Lunar Wave for 2011 has undergone a few tweaks and changes and now comes with a silver envelope. Austerity and the importance of keeping it local. The cuts are upon us. The runaway spending decade has come to a close. It's time to support real, local, British artists, small businesses and smallholders. It may cost less to buy from companies who ship from the Far East but have you considered the 'real' cost of manufacturing outside of our country. The more we keep it local, the more benefit we will feel locally.  2011 Moon Calendars. This year sees Bird&Bee's 11th year of producing The Original and Unique Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar. The 2011 version is ready for order now and comes complete with an updated booklet with news and lots of facts and points of interest. 2011 Lunar Wheel Lunar Wave 2011 The Lunar Wave for 2011 has undergone a few tweaks and changes and now comes with a silver envelope. Still the most beautiful mini-moon calendar by far! See it here Moon Mug - Back in Black "Put the kettle on, make a brew, step out into the night and consider the Cosmos a while..." The Moon Mug for 2011 has been updated to a Glossy Black demeanour for 2011 – a little touch to differentiate from last years beautiful, midnight blue version. Bird&Bee loves a cup of Tea - especially Earl Grey - my hot beverage of choice! Over the years we have been asked many a time if we will make an annual moon calendar to go on the side of a mug. This took time to develop as we wanted it shiny and of a very high quality! We found a way to make it work and this year it is Back in Black - we hope you like it. The style and feel of the mug is important as some are too big, some too small; some too thick to drink from and some too thin. We think we have got it just right. The Moon Mug is made right here in Britain - NOT produced over seas and shipped thousands of miles across the oceans. How it is cheaper to do this does not make any sense - let's keep production here in Britain! See the new moon mug Firewood Collection With all the goings on in Beautiful Britain this year it is sometimes difficult to see the wood for the trees. In the last few years there has been a resurgence in the use a wood burners, multi-fuel stoves and open fires to heat our homes. A sustainable, cheap and human way of heating our homes! 'Bird&Bee's Firewood Collection' is born. A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source - wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. Take a look here. Written and Designed by Bird&Bee it depicts our 40 British Trees and their characteristics as firewood. Take a look here. Free card payments To say thank you to all our customers we’re paying all the credit/debit card processing fees (4%) up until the next New Moon (6th November 04:52). Payments are made via the PayPal website, which you will be directed to when you complete your order from our Shoppe. You do not have to be a member of Paypal to pay! Autumn Gift Ideas Moon Packs We are offering Moon Packs this year, consisting of a Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar, Moon Mug and Lunar Wave Card all for £18! That's a saving of £3. Take a look here Moon Mugs Moon Mugs are here to stay - our second year of making them! Why not go for something truly unique and original this year - it's the only moon mug there is! See the Moon Mug - 4 Pack now available: Save £8.50 Firewood Collection A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source...wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. £7 each. Reduce your heating bill and heat your home for free! Firewood Collection Peace & Love for Christmas We have introduced a Christmas card bundle this year. Why not send out Peace & Love to all this Christmas. With their vibrant colours and shiny gold and silver foil they are the perfect festive card. These shiny double folded cards come with their own transparent envelope and are made using Wind Power. You can now buy a pack of 10 cards for £10 News From Above... By the light of the Silvery Moon An ambitious attempt to discover the contents of a lunar crater by crash landing a spent rocket has revealed a "treasure chest" of elements on the Moon. Nasa last night said that its mission last year to fire a rocket into the dark shadows of the Cabeus crater near the lunar South Pole produced a plume of debris containing an astonishing array of volatile substances, including silver and enough water to fill a paddling pool. Read more... Large amounts of water are found on the Moon There are oases of water-rich soil that could sustain astronauts on the Moon, according to Nasa. Scientists studied the full results of an experiment that smashed a rocket and a probe into a lunar crater last year. The impacts kicked up large amounts of rock and dust, revealing a suite of fascinating chemical compounds and far more water than anyone had imagined. A Nasa-led team tells Science magazine that about 155kg of water vapour and water-ice were blown out of the crater. The researchers' analysis suggests some areas of lunar regolith, or soil, must contain as much as 5% by weight of water-ice. "That's a significant amount of water," said Anthony Colaprete, from the US space agency's Ames research centre. "And it's in the form of water-ice grains. That's good news because water-ice is very much a friendly resource to work with. You don't have to warm it very much; you just have to bring it up to room temperature to pull it out of the dirt real easy. "Just as a point of reference - in about a tonne of material, at about 5%, you're talking 11-12 gallons of water that you could extract." Read more........ Fri, 22 Oct 2010 17:16:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/11/19/bird-and-bees-once-in-a-blue-moon-newsletter-november-2010/ Friday 21st November 2010 Birch Moon: 6th Nov 04:52 – 5th Dec 17:36Full Moon: Sunday 21st November 17:27Last Quarter: Sunday 28th November 20:36Oak Moon: Sunday 5th December 17:36First Quarter: Monday 13th December 13:59 Sun Sign: Sagittarius Monday 22nd November 04:23 Hello Friend, November greetings from Bird&Bee. Thank you for supporting Bird&Bee. Home of Bird&Bee’s world famous, esoteric and arcane, annual Lunar Wheel. [Display it in your dwelling with pride and gaze at it from time to time to keep in tune with the cycles and movements of nature and the cosmos.]   Right here, right now. Moon 2011!  Beautiful Birch, what a tree! Moon Musings Sister company BigBuddha Films is getting ready to shoot next film. Your support is needed! All 2011 Moon Stock is ready to order.  Special offer on Moon Mugs Lunar Wheels can now be ordered in 1’s, 2’s, 5’s and 10’s. The Lunar Wave for 2011 can be ordered singularly, as a four pack and now as a ten pack with a healthy discount. Reclaimed Oak Frames are perfect for displaying your Lunar Wheel, year on year and your Firewood Prints over the hearth. News From Above... Beautiful Birch Birches have spiritual importance in several religions, both modern and historical. They are associated with the Tír na nÓg, the land of the dead and the Sidhe, in Gaelic folklore, and as such frequently appear in Scottish, Irish, and English folksongs and ballads in association with death, or fairies, or returning from the grave. The birch tree is considered a national tree of Russia. Birch bark can be soaked until moist in water, and then formed into a cast for a broken arm. The inner bark of birch can be ingested safely. The bark of all birches is characteristically marked with long horizontal lenticels, and often separates into thin papery plates, especially upon the Paper Birch. It is practically imperishable, due to the resinous oil, which it contains. Its decided color gives the common names gray, white, black, silver and yellow birch to different species. Moon Musings The New Moon always rises at sunrise.The first quarter at noon.The Full Moon always rises at sunset.The last quarter at midnight. Short film by Bird&Bee associate artist needs your help - your chance to do something wonderful!  Sheffield based Big Buddha Films is one of Bird&Bee's regular collaborators, we have worked on many projects together. They are currently in pre production on their new film Peekaboo, which is bravely tackling the subject of stillbirth and miscarriage. BAFTA nominated actress Lesley Sharp and Shaun Dooley will be starring in the film, which looks at one couple's struggle to come to terms with the deaths of their three babies. Big Buddha is looking for sponsorship to help to get this ground breaking film made, and is putting a call out to all those touched by these issues, or people who simply want to support the arts during these difficult times. There are a range of sponsorship packages available, and all donations are welcome, however small.  Every person that donates receives something in return.  Please support them if you can. Please see the following links to find out more about how you can get involved: To see their 5 min video promotion film to hear all about the film and ways to help visit:http://www.indiegogo.com/Peeka-boo To go to their website and read all about the film and ways to help please visit:http://www.bigbuddhafilms.com/films/fiction/peekaboo/ To contact them for further information please email Debbie Howard at Big Buddha films: debbie@bigbuddhafilms.co.uk 2011 Moon Calendars. Lunar Wheel 2011 Lunar Wheels can now be ordered in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s with savings going up relatively. 1 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £82 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £15 Save £15 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £35 Save £510 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £60 Save £20 Postage is worked out depending on where you live and the amount you order.Comes with free 12 page booklet on the Moon. Lunar Wave 2011 The Lunar Wave for 2011 has undergone a few tweaks and changes and now comes with a silver envelope. Still the most beautiful mini-moon calendar by far! 1 x Lunar Wave 2011 - £3.504 x Lunar Wave 2011 - £11.50 Save £3.5010 x Lunar Wave 2011 - £25 Save £10 Moon Mug - Back in Black "Put the kettle on, make a brew, step out into the night and consider the Cosmos a while..." The Moon Mug for 2011 has been updated to a Glossy Black demeanour for 2011 – a little touch to differentiate from last years beautiful, midnight blue version. Bird&Bee loves a cup of Tea - especially Earl Grey - my hot beverage of choice! Over the years we have been asked many a time if we will make an annual moon calendar to go on the side of a mug. This took time to develop as we wanted it shiny and of a very high quality! We found a way to make it work and this year it is Back in Black - we hope you like it. The style and feel of the mug is important as some are too big, some too small; some too thick to drink from and some too thin. We think we have got it just right. The Moon Mug is made right here in Britain - NOT produced over seas and shipped thousands of miles across the oceans. How it is cheaper to do this does not make any sense - let's keep production here in Britain! See the new moon mug Firewood Collection With all the goings on in Beautiful Britain this year it is sometimes difficult to see the wood for the trees. In the last few years there has been a resurgence in the use a wood burners, multi-fuel stoves and open fires to heat our homes. A sustainable, cheap and human way of heating our homes! 'Bird&Bee's Firewood Collection' is born. A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source - wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. Take a look here. Written and Designed by Bird&Bee it depicts our 40 British Trees and their characteristics as firewood. Take a look here. Free card payments To say thank you to all our customers we’re paying all the credit/debit card processing fees (4%) up until the next New Moon (6th November 04:52). Payments are made via the PayPal website, which you will be directed to when you complete your order from our Shoppe. You do not have to be a member of Paypal to pay! Christmas Gift Ideas Moon Packs We are offering Moon Packs this year, consisting of a Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar, Moon Mug and Lunar Wave Card all for £18! That's a saving of £3. Take a look here Moon Mugs Moon Mugs are here to stay - our second year of making them! Why not go for something truly unique and original this year - it's the only moon mug there is! See the Moon Mug - 4 Pack now available: Save £8.50 Firewood Collection A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source...wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. £7 each. Reduce your heating bill and heat your home for free! Firewood Collection Peace & Love for Christmas We have introduced a Christmas card bundle this year. Why not send out Peace & Love to all this Christmas. With their vibrant colours and shiny gold and silver foil they are the perfect festive card. These shiny double folded cards come with their own transparent envelope and are made using Wind Power. You can now buy a pack of 10 cards for £10.... Fri, 19 Nov 2010 17:02:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/11/30/stall-315-lincoln-christmas-market/ Bird&Bee will be clearing a snowy path to Lincoln tomorrow to join the festivities at the 29th Lincoln Christmas Market. Thursday 2nd December - Sunday 5th December, 2010 A contemporary cathedral city with over 2,000 years of history, Lincoln is the perfect place to visit over the festive period. Take a trip back through time and stroll along the cobbles the cultural quarter of the city. The medieval square between the impressive Norman castle and magnificent gothic cathedral is the perfect backdrop for the Christmas Market. Visitors are welcomed to this beautiful city and the traditional Christmas Market, where you will enjoy cultural entertainment and stroll around over 250 stalls nestled with in the medieval square and surrounding area. Lincoln Christmas Market has developed dramatically since it began as the UK's first German-style traditional market with just 11 stalls. The Christmas Market gives visitors and residents a truly festive experience, with a traditional, high quality event for all the family.   If you're visiting then come and say hello.I'll be on stall 315 in the Christmas Bazaar   RyanBird&Bee.... Tue, 30 Nov 2010 21:58:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/12/2/uk-under-snow-amazing-satellite-image/ Just thought I share this beautiful Narnia-esque image of the British Isles. Sheffield is somewhere amongst the swirling snow that blocks out half the country. Where are you on the map? ...courtesy of The University of Dundee's satellite receiving station which  captured this image of how the heavy snow of the past week has affected the UK. RyanBird&Bee .... Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:15:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/12/2/white-out-on-the-green-isles-amazing-satellite-image-of-britain-/ Just thought I share this beautiful Narnia-esque image of the British Isles. Sheffield is somewhere amongst the swirling snow that blocks out half the country. Where are you on the map?     ...courtesy of The University of Dundee's satellite receiving station which  captured this image of how the heavy snow of the past week has affected the UK. RyanBird&Bee .... Thu, 02 Dec 2010 23:35:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2010/12/3/bird-and-bees-once-in-a-blue-moon-newsletter-december/ Friday 3rd December 2010 Oak Moon (New): Sunday 5th December 17:36 First Quarter: Monday 13th December 13:59 Full Moon: Tuesday 21st December 08:13 Winter Solstice: Tuesday 21st December 23:38 Capricorn Lunar Eclipse: Monday 13th December 08:16 Hello Friend, A quick message from Bird&Bee. The Great White Out I hope you have all been making the most of the snowfall this last week or so. Here in Sheffield we have had 18 inches in the city and up to 36 inches out on the peak - quite phenomenal and the most ever recorded here in 116 years! We hope it hasn't disrupted your lives too much. Bird&Bee was to attend the 29th Lincoln Xmas Market this weekend but the whole event has been cancelled due to the pressure the snow has put on infrastructure. We will however be at NetherEdge Farmers Market on Sunday - If you're local come say hello -should be great! I wanted to share with you this amazing image that has been remotely taken by the University of Dundee. It beautifully shows the extent of the British Isles as a frozen tundra - beautiful! Can you spot where you should be - we are buried somewhere in the middle under a giant, icy tendril. Post & Deliveries Thanks to everyone who has already put in their order. Most of you who have, will have received yours before the snow hit but for those of you who haven't, Netheredge Post Office has been shut for two days now but should be re-opening tomorrow morning so we will post everything out to you then. Last posting Date is Tuesday 21st December (Winter Solstice). This should catch the last delivery for Christmas Eve so place orders by this date! Peekaboo A big thank you to those of you who have offered support and a donation to Big Buddha Films for the up and coming film 'Peekaboo'. It is very much appreciated and will help to bring awareness to the issues of stillbirth and miscarriage to a wider audience. Please see the following links to find out more about how you can get involved: To see their 5 min video promotion film to hear all about the film and ways to help visit: http://www.indiegogo.com/Peeka-boo To go to their website and read all about the film and ways to help please visit: http://www.bigbuddhafilms.com/films/fiction/peekaboo/ For further information please email Debbie Howard at Big Buddha films: debbie@bigbuddhafilms.co.uk News From Above... Oak Moon Rising As the Oak Moon is upon us, I wanted to draw attention to the beautiful Antique Oak Frames that I am making to give the Lunar Wheel a permanent home and the Firewood Print a sturdy, lasting frame. They are made from Reclaimed Aged Oak, and backed with sturdy board and picture frame glass. We post them very securely and haven't had one break in transit as yet - touch Oak! They come ready to hang and we have left them accessible at the back so next years calendar can be slotted inside - should last a lifetime.      You can take a look here: Handmade, Reclaimed Oak, Framed Lunar Wheel -£40 Handmade, Reclaimed Oak,Firewood Print Framed - £40 2011 Moon Calendars. Lunar Wheel 2011 Lunar Wheels can now be ordered in 1s, 2s, 5s and 10s with savings going up relatively. 1 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £82 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £155 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £3510 x Lunar Wheel 2011 - £60 Postage is worked out depending on where you live and the amount you order.Comes with free 12 page booklet on the Moon. Lunar Wave 2011 The Lunar Wave for 2011 has undergone a few tweaks and changes and now comes with a silver envelope. Still the most beautiful mini-moon calendar by far! 1 x Lunar Wave 2011 - £3.504 x Lunar Wave 2011 - £11.5010 x Lunar Wave 2011 - £25 Moon Mug - Back in Black "Put the kettle on, make a brew, step out into the night and consider the Cosmos a while..." The Moon Mug for 2011 has been updated to a Glossy Black demeanour for 2011 – a little touch to differentiate from last years beautiful, midnight blue version. Bird&Bee loves a cup of Tea - especially Earl Grey - my hot beverage of choice! Over the years we have been asked many a time if we will make an annual moon calendar to go on the side of a mug. This took time to develop as we wanted it shiny and of a very high quality! We found a way to make it work and this year it is Back in Black - we hope you like it. The style and feel of the mug is important as some are too big, some too small; some too thick to drink from and some too thin. We think we have got it just right. The Moon Mug is made right here in Britain - NOT produced over seas and shipped thousands of miles across the oceans. How it is cheaper to do this does not make any sense - let's keep production here in Britain! See the new moon mug Firewood Collection With all the goings on in Beautiful Britain this year it is sometimes difficult to see the wood for the trees. In the last few years there has been a resurgence in the use a wood burners, multi-fuel stoves and open fires to heat our homes. A sustainable, cheap and human way of heating our homes! 'Bird&Bee's Firewood Collection' is born. A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source - wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. Take a look here. Written and Designed by Bird&Bee it depicts our 40 British Trees and their characteristics as firewood. Take a look here. Free card payments To say thank you to all our customers we’re paying all the credit/debit card processing fees (4%) up until the next New Moon (6th November 04:52). Payments are made via the PayPal website, which you will be directed to when you complete your order from our Shoppe. You do not have to be a member of Paypal to pay! Christmas Gift Ideas Moon Packs We are offering Moon Packs this year, consisting of a Lunar Wheel Moon Calendar, Moon Mug and Lunar Wave Card all for £18! That's a saving of £3. Take a look here Moon Mugs Moon Mugs are here to stay - our second year of making them! Why not go for something truly unique and original this year - it's the only moon mug there is! See the Moon Mug - 4 Pack now available: Save £8.50 Firewood Collection A fireside guide to burning our most sustainable heat source...wood! The gold inlaid prints will glimmer by the fireside whilst intriguing anyone with an open fire, a stove or just a love of wood & trees. £7 each. Reduce your heating bill and heat your home for free! Firewood Collection Peace & Love for Christmas We have introduced a Christmas card bundle this year. Why not send out Peace & Love to all this Christmas. With their vibrant colours and shiny gold and silver foil they are the perfect festive card. These shiny double folded cards come with their own transparent envelope and are made using Wind Power. You can now buy a pack of 10 cards for £10.... Fri, 03 Dec 2010 16:39:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2011/6/15/lunar-eclipse-june-15th-2011-under-a-blood-red-moon/ Lunar Eclipse - June 15th 2011 - Under a Blood Red Moon Hi All,Just wanted to remind you incase you haven't checked your Lunar Wheel 2011 this week, that we have a Lunar Eclipse tonight (June 15th 2011). •The eclipse occurs between 18:23 and 22:02.•Totality will last from  19:22 until 21.02.•Moon rise in Sheffield is at 21:15  (slightly earlier in the South and slightly later in the North) At Moonrise (21:15 UT/BST), the moon will appear red, as the Sun casts Earth's shadow over the Moon and cuts out the shorter light waves of the light spectrum. The longer, red light waves escape through the earths atmosphere to illuminate the moon in a red hue. This means that, if we have a clear sky we will catch the end of totality as the moon rises over the horizon - A BIG, FAT, RED, MOON! - Don't forget your binoculars! For a great little video explanation check out this link (apologies for the ad at the beginning): http://www.space.com/11906-turning-moon-blood-red.html RyanBird&Bee .... Wed, 15 Jun 2011 11:44:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2011/9/12/bird-and-bees-once-in-a-blue-moon-newsletter-september/ Monday 12th September 2011 Harvest Moon (Full): Monday 12th September 09:27 Last Quarter: Tuesday 20th September 13:39 New Moon: Tuesday 27th September 11:09 First Quarter: Tuesday 4th October 03:15 Autumnal Equinox: Friday 23rd September 03:09 Capricorn Hello Friend, Bird&Bee's 2011 so far... SO FAR...the year has been a busy and exciting one, completing numerous Creative Learning projects in Sheffield and the North, installations nationally and travels by train on the continent. As part of Creative Partnerships, we explored how to make a chocolate bar from 'Bean to Bar' in our 'Unwrapping Chocolate' project. It took us on a journey from the Cocoa Plant all the way to the Sweet Shop. We also made our own Fairtrade chocolate bars which illustrated the twenty steps it takes to produce a finished chocolate bar. We formed a Rainforest School and built a living rainforest, including authentic soundscapes, which culminated in a beautiful butterfly release. We ran a discovery project called 'The Lost Vikings of Valhalla' where we learnt about Vikings by creating a Time Capsule which was 'discovered' by the children and lead to 'real' Vikings appearing in school and learning how to write in the Runic language. We developed a platform for parents to view children's school work and have open dialogue, remotely. We explored local identity and global citizenship which culminated in a multicultural skill swap event. We created a 200 x 120 metre, LandArt installation for Shambala Festival which involved mowing a meadow by day and a Phosphorous light installation by night...'We are all made of Stars' - inspired by Carl Sagan's Pioneer Plaque... ...'Harmony' has been on the road in schools, exhibitions, one of which was at Chatsworth Estate as part of the 'Weekend of Wonders' exhibition. She has recently had new brass fittings too and is working wonderfully. We hope to offer Limited Edition Drawings from Harmony in the near future, a set of postcodes and a scaled up version of Harmony, ten metres high! We also spent the Summer Interailing - as my daughter starts Secondary Education it seemed like a good idea to broaden horizons and see the world a little. We took in Holland, Switzerland, Austria, Italy and Croatia. Venizia (Venice) & Firenza (Florence) were truly inspiring! New in 2011 from Bird&Bee Signed & numbered, Limited edition Lunar Wheel Calendar 2012 available in deep black. Limited Edition for 2012 With all the hysteria that has built up around December 21st 2012 and its Mayan connections, Bird&Bee attempts to dispel the myth that the end of the world is nigh! Bird&Bee is offering to it's first 500 friends - a Limited Edition Lunar Wheel Calendar 2012 in Deep Black, as a celebration of Life, Cycles, Nature and the Now! The Limited Edition, signed and numbered copies are accompanied with a witty pamphlet and sticker set, entitled: 'How to Survive the Apocalypse' - a guide to surviving the 'doomed' date of 21/12/2012 and the world as we know it! It has plain facts, insights, anecdotes and illustrations to help you come to terms with the fact that the world ISN'T going to end in December 2012! Every year we make a new wheel to track the motions and movements of the Moon, the Sun and the Stars. Each 'arm' on the wheel is a full sweep of the phases of the moon for that given month, radiating out from the hub of the wheel. Each arm depicts the full Lunar Phase progression, Moon Quarter Times, Lunar Ingress Signs, Sun Ingress Signs, Solar Eclipses, Lunar Eclipses, the Earth Date and weekends within. All of which are set out in a ledgible format so you can navigate the whole of the year at a glance. At the foot of the chart is the key to all symbols used, Pagan Moon names, a handy guide to the Sunrise and Sunset times for every Sunday in the year and dates for Solstices, Equinoxes and Pagan Festivals. The chart also makes it easy to tell when British Summer Time begins and ends. All times on the chart are centered on Greenwich Mean Time for the location: 00° 0', 51° 32' North The 'Original' Lunar Wheel for 2012, in the ever-popular deep 'prussian blue', is still available to order on our website. Bird&Bee Sticker Set As a little keepsake we have printed up a nice little gold & silver sticker set to accompany our other items. Small but perfectly formed, the sticker sets include 6 different designs ranging form 50mm to 70mm in diameter. They each contain little Bird&Bee illustrations, so you can adorn your journals, folders, diaries, fridges or windows at your leisure. Stocks are limited so be sure to add them to your cart. Bird&Bee will be giving away a Limited Edition, framed, one off, signed, Artwork on the Winter Solstice to the most innovatively placed/situated stickers - just take a picture and email it to: stickemup@birdandbee.co.uk or MMS Bird&Bee on +44 (0) 7855 755 595 Lunar Wave Folding Calendar Card 2012 The ever popular Lunar Wave Calendar 2012 is ready to order too but this year they are 'Back in Black'. The usual wealth of information and detail along with a few tweaks and changes here and there. Bird&Bee's Moon Mug 2012 This will be the third year we are producing Bird&Bee's Moon Mug. This year the Duotone mug is a Prussian Blue outer with a pure white inner and lovingly guilded in shiny silver as before. Whilst remaining the same volume, we have opted for the 'Cambridge' style this year. You can wander out into the night with a steaming hot brew of your choice and gaze at the lightshow above for a while with the knowledge of the Moon in your hands! The Moon Mug shows a full lunar phase depiction for a whole year, with Lunar Quarters, Lunar & Solar Eclipses, Solstices, Equinoxes and Pagan Moon names too - a mountain of knowledge, beautifully crafted, right there in your hands! The Moon Mug will be sent to your door in nothing less than a 100% recycled, protective packaging box. Available to order now - they will ship from 25th September 2011..... Mon, 12 Sep 2011 22:08:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2011/10/12/bird-and-bees-once-in-a-blue-moon-newsletter-october/ Thursday 13th October 2011 Blood Moon (Full): Wednesday 12th October 02:06 Last Quarter: Thursday 20th October 03:30 New Moon: Wednesday 26th October 19:56 First Quarter: Wednesday 2nd November 16:38 Fiery Dahlia: taken at Chatsworth Gardens 24th September 2011 by Ryan Patrick Morley Hello Friend, Petals in Autumn... well, Autumn has certainly arrived. We have enjoyed such a mixture of weather lately, with 28°C temperatures, wind speeds of 50mph+ and torrential rain lately too...the frost is still yet to come. The colours in the woods around Sheffield have been stunning and the bounty of windfall has been huge! On a trip to the Chatsworth Estates 'Beyond Limits' sculpture exhibition recently we saw a spectacular array of Dahlias with their natural symmetry and fibonacci petal sequences...more about petals below: 3D Workshop...Bird&Bee is getting set for a move at the end of this month to a new workshop/studio space. The move is to a newly renovated space close to the river Sheaf and the Sheffield to Manchester train line. Here's hoping the work is completed for 31st October then we can get on with moving in and setting up the new space. The address of the space is to be: Unit 3D, Nursery Works, Little London Road, Sheffield S8 0UJ...which is perfect as more 3D work is planned for the future. Moon...we are anticipating the arrival of the new Moon Mugs for 2012 in the next week or so - after initially not being happy with the result, we have rectified the silvering and are waiting arrival. Apologies to those of you who have had to wait a little longer than expected and thank you for your patience. A Brief History of Time (BST) In 1907 an Englishman, William Willett, campaigned to advance clocks by 80 minutes. He proposed four moves of 20 minutes at the beginning of the Spring and Summer months, and to return to Greenwich Mean Time in a similar manner in the Autumn. The following year, the House of Commons rejected a Bill to advance the clocks by one hour during the Spring and Summer months. Summer time was first defined in an Act of Parliament in 1916. The clocks were moved one hour ahead of GMT from the Spring to the Autumn. During the Second World War, double Summer time (two hours in advance of GMT) was introduced, lasting until July 1945. British Summer Time: The clocks will go back by one hour at 2:00 am on Sunday 30th October to 1:00 am as British Summer Time. once again, comes to an end for another year. Bird&Bee's 100% Wool Petal Bowls A tactile storage solution to engage the user in the joys of using natural materials and simple, effective design. Crafted together using three layers of felt, these reversible bowls arrive, packed flat. Simply pop the stainless steel fasteners together to create a beautiful, symmetrically shaped vessel, ready to display keepsakes, jewellery & keys or create your own displays -endless uses - be creative!... These cleverly designed, simple and elegant 100% wool felt bowls come in an array of six naturally dyed earthen colours. 100% Pure Wool Felt Natural Earthen Dyes Stainless Steel Fasteners Supports the campaign for Wool Completely original one-off Design Recycled Packaging Made by designer/maker Ruth Taylor - a collaboration with Bird&Bee. Price: £12 or 2 for £20 New in 2011 from Bird&Bee Signed & numbered, Limited edition Lunar Wheel Calendar 2012 available in deep black. Limited Edition for 2012 With all the hysteria that has built up around December 21st 2012 and its Mayan connections, Bird&Bee attempts to dispel the myth that the end of the world is nigh! Bird&Bee is offering to it's first 500 friends - a Limited Edition Lunar Wheel Calendar 2012 in Deep Black, as a celebration of Life, Cycles, Nature and the Now! The Limited Edition, signed and numbered copies are accompanied with a witty pamphlet and sticker set, entitled: 'How to Survive the Apocalypse' - a guide to surviving the 'doomed' date of 21/12/2012 and the world as we know it! It has plain facts, insights, anecdotes and illustrations to help you come to terms with the fact that the world ISN'T going to end in December 2012! Every year we make a new wheel to track the motions and movements of the Moon, the Sun and the Stars. Each 'arm' on the wheel is a full sweep of the phases of the moon for that given month, radiating out from the hub of the wheel. Each arm depicts the full Lunar Phase progression, Moon Quarter Times, Lunar Ingress Signs, Sun Ingress Signs, Solar Eclipses, Lunar Eclipses, the Earth Date and weekends within. All of which are set out in a ledgible format so you can navigate the whole of the year at a glance. At the foot of the chart is the key to all symbols used, Pagan Moon names, a handy guide to the Sunrise and Sunset times for every Sunday in the year and dates for Solstices, Equinoxes and Pagan Festivals. The chart also makes it easy to tell when British Summer Time begins and ends. All times on the chart are centered on Greenwich Mean Time for the location: 00° 0', 51° 32' North The 'Original' Lunar Wheel for 2012, in the ever-popular deep 'prussian blue', is still available to order on our website. Bird&Bee Sticker Set As a little keepsake we have made a gorgeous little gold & silver sticker set to accompany our other items. Small but perfectly formed, the sticker sets include 5 different designs ranging form 50mm to 70mm in diameter. They each contain little Bird&Bee illustrations, so you can adorn your journals, folders, diaries, fridges or windows at your leisure. All the packaging is, of course, recycled. Even the polybags are corn starch, which breaks down in the compost in around 30 days! Stocks are limited so be sure to add them to your cart Bird&Bee will be giving away a Limited Edition, framed, one-off, signed, Artwork on the Winter Solstice to the most innovatively placed/situated stickers - just take a picture and email it to stuck@birdandbee.co.uk or MMS Bird&Bee on +44 (0) 7855 755 595 Price: £2.99 + 50p P&P.... Wed, 12 Oct 2011 23:25:00 UTC http://www.birdandbee.co.uk/blog/2011/11/9/bird-and-bees-once-in-a-blue-moon-newsletter-november/ Wednesday 9th November 2011 Birch Moon (Full): Thursday 10th November 20:16 Last Quarter: Friday 18th November 15:09 New Moon: Friday 25th November 06:10 First Quarter: Friday 2nd December 09:52 Solar Eclipse: 25th November 06:21 South Pole To view the path of the eclipse click here Will Self & Myself 'Off the Shelf' Sheffield 2011 by Ruth Taylor Hello Friend, into the dark we go... Birch Moon... Samhain marks the end of the harvest for all Pagans, Picts, Celts, Druids and Nature lovers...and the entering into the 'dark-half' of the year'. The moon rises directly opposite the Earth from the Sun on the 10th November at 20:16...Remember: The Full Moon always rises at sunset. The last quarter at midnight. The New Moon always rises at sunrise. The first quarter at noon. The asteroid YU55 passed through the Moon's orbit on Tuesday night and came within 200,000 miles of us. It will return in 2041 possibly with more accuracy and could in fact enter Earth's atmosphere next time. This Friday's Remembrance Day is on 11/11/2011 @ 11:11am Special Offer...As a winter warmer I am offering a 10% discount in our shoppe during the Full Moon (use the money you save on keeping warm!). From Thursday 10th up to Sunday 13th at midnight just type in 'BIRCH2011' at the checkout to get your discount. Off the Shelf...During the month of October, Sheffield was home to the world class literary festival entitled 'Off the Shelf'. The city puts on a wealth of diverse entertainment across one hundred different venues - all things literary. Scour the 'Off the Shelf' guide and you will find everything from readings, workshops and signings to book swaps, poetry slams and lectures from some of our best loved authors, illustrators and thinkers as well as nurturing Sheffield's immense local talent as well. This year there were many inspiring offerings but one that I particularly enjoyed was Will Self at the Pennine Lecture Theatre. He is an alluring character, uncomfortable with letting the unexplained go unnoticed and the unchallenged go quietly. After sharing his complimentary sandwiches with us he shared his experiences as a long time OCD sufferer and the difficulties he has with packing for a journey. After electing to buy a Barbour jacket as the perfect solution to his traveling requirements he sets off on his latest literary journey 'Walking to Hollywood'. Self's inimitable style of lurid realism that vaults off in to a flight of wild imaginings is as colourful as ever. Inspired by the literary festival, Bird&Bee is embarking on a series of essays over the next 12 months. The essays are a 15 minute read that are hopefully informative, thought provoking, witty and fun. They are accompanied by some beautiful illustrations too. The first is entitled '2012 - An Optimist's Apocalypse', which attempts to dissect the notion of December 21st 2012 as being the end of the world. It sets out the realities behind the Mayan calendar and Geological activities (that will or will not occur on this potentially fateful date) in a thought provoking and humorous manner! It is available for free with the Limited Edition Lunar Wheel Calendar or for £2.50 from the 'Shoppe'. "the global catastrophe - hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes, synchronising and amplifying each other in a positive feedback loop that will spin out of control... Should probably happen in ones, not tens, of years" - Alexey Dmitriev, Siberian Scientist Moon Mugs... Finally they have landed and are as beautiful as ever. They are available now from the 'Shoppe' with discounts for two or more... Harmony... We will be offering a range of Harmony Cards for Christmas - For those who do not know what 'Harmony' is all will be explained in December. Till then, Thanks for supporting Bird&Bee and independent Artists alike! Christmas Markets Chatsworth Christmas Fair... Bird&Bee is very pleased to be invited to join the Chatsworth Christmas Market this year. We will be giving demonstrations on the hour, every hour, with our finely tuned Spectacular automatic drawing machine 'Harmony' and be offering all manner of bespoke, beautifully designed and printed wares as well. The setting is beautiful and there will be an amazing mix of craft and Christmas stalls to wonder around....please come along and find us! The markets are on from Fridays thru til Sundays at 10am - 5pm on the weekends of the 11th-13th and 18th-20th November 2011. Lincoln Christmas Market... Bird&Bee will also be at the Lincoln Christmas Market this year (Europe's biggest Xmas Market). At the top of Steep Hill & Bailgate is the Cathedral and Castle. Wonder around this ancient cobbled city and peruse the stalls....a beautiful place to be! Thursday 1st December - Sunday 4th December 2011. New in 2011 from Bird&Bee Signed & numbered, Limited edition Lunar Wheel Calendar 2012 available in deep black. Limited Edition for 2012 With all the hysteria that has built up around December 21st 2012 and its Mayan connections, Bird&Bee attempts to dispel the myth that the end of the world is nigh! Bird&Bee is offering to it's first 500 friends - a Limited Edition Lunar Wheel Calendar 2012 in Deep Black, as a celebration of Life, Cycles, Nature and the Now! The Limited Edition, signed and numbered copies are accompanied with a witty pamphlet and sticker set, entitled: 'How to Survive the Apocalypse' - a guide to surviving the 'doomed' date of 21/12/2012 and the world as we know it! It has plain facts, insights, anecdotes and illustrations to help you come to terms with the fact that the world ISN'T going to end in December 2012! Every year we make a new wheel to track the motions and movements of the Moon, the Sun and the Stars. Each 'arm' on the wheel is a full sweep of the phases of the moon for that given month, radiating out from the hub of the wheel. Each arm depicts the full Lunar Phase progression, Moon Quarter Times, Lunar Ingress Signs, Sun Ingress Signs, Solar Eclipses, Lunar Eclipses, the Earth Date and weekends within. All of which are set out in a ledgible format so you can navigate the whole of the year at a glance. At the foot of the chart is the key to all symbols used, Pagan Moon names, a handy guide to the Sunrise and Sunset times for every Sunday in the year and dates for Solstices, Equinoxes and Pagan Festivals. The chart also makes it easy to tell when British Summer Time begins and ends. All times on the chart are centered on Greenwich Mean Time for the location: 00° 0', 51° 32' North The 'Original' Lunar Wheel for 2012, in the ever-popular deep 'prussian blue', is still available to order on our website. 2012 - An Optimist's Apocalypse '2012 - An Optimist's Apocalypse' attempts to dissect the notion of December 21st 2012 as being the end of the world. It sets out the realities behind the Mayan calendar and Geological activities (that will or will not occur on this potentially fateful date) in a thought provoking and humorous manner! It is available for free with the Signed, Limited Edition Lunar Wheel Calendar 2012 or for £2.50 from the 'Shoppe'. Lunar Wave 2012 The Lunar Wave for 2012 has undergone a few tweaks and changes and now comes with a silver envelope. Still the most beautiful mini-moon calendar by far! See it here Bird&Bee's 100% Wool Petal Bowls A tactile storage solution to engage the user in the joys of using natural materials and simple, effective design. Crafted together using three layers of felt, these reversible bowls arrive, packed flat. Simply pop the stainless steel fasteners together to create a beautiful, symmetrically shaped vessel, ready to display keepsakes, jewellery & keys or create your own displays -endless uses - be creative!... These cleverly designed, simple and elegant 100% wool felt bowls come in an array of six naturally dyed earthen colours. 100% Pure Wool Felt Natural Earthen Dyes Stainless Steel Fasteners Supports the campaign for Wool Completely original one-off Design Recycled Packaging Made by designer/maker Ruth Taylor - a collaboration with Bird&Bee. Price: £12 or 2 for £20 Bird&Bee Sticker Set As a little keepsake we have made a gorgeous little gold & silver sticker set to accompany our other items. Small but perfectly formed, the sticker sets include 5 different designs ranging form 50mm to 70mm in diameter. They each contain little Bird&Bee illustrations, so you can adorn your journals, folders, diaries, fridges or windows at your leisure. All the packaging is, of course, recycled. Even the polybags are corn starch, which breaks down in the compost in around 30 days! Stocks are limited so be sure to add them to your cart Bird&Bee will be giving away a Limited Edition, framed, one-off, signed, Artwork on the Winter Solstice to the most innovatively placed/situated stickers - just take a picture and email it to stuck@birdandbee.co.uk or MMS Bird&Bee on +44 (0) 7855 755 595 Price: £2.99 + 50p P&P.... Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:00:00 UTC