New! FigSip Silver Patina

You've surely noticed that the need for a top-quality Silver Patina has increased dramatically in recent years.
It seems that people are no longer merely satisfied with Black, Copper and Antique Brass Patinas.
As our expectations rise so do our demands for better choice and quality.
That's why Fantasy In Glass has developed a Silver Patina for the discriminating connoisseur.
The Fantasy In Glass Silver Patina (or FigSip) is of the highest quality assuring the user of an even, rich shiny silver finish with just one application.
So, when you want that unique, rich look of silver, try FigSip Patina, the choice of professionals.
Available exclusively at your Fantasy In Glass supplier.

(paid advertisement)

Monthly Sale for November

The end of the month is the time when we get to put something on sale but more importantly it's also another opportunity to post an embarrassing picture of Zenia. Ah, but it's Halloween and Anja dressed up so appropriately that Mikey is compelled to post her picture here instead, and to wish everyone a great Happy Halloween! Stay tuned for more Zenia next month.
Oh, yeah, go here for the Monthly Sale.

NASA Denies Stained Glass Store On Moon Claim

NASA administrators have strongly denied that there is a stained glass store on the moon. Recent pictures have been circulating on the internet and purport to show the reflection of a long chocolate brown coloured awning with the words 'Stained Glass' inscribed on, it in the helmet visor of astronaut Buzz Aldrin, lending weight to conspiracy theories which suggest that the U.S. space agency faked the 1969 moon landings in order to divert attention from the Vietnam War.
Sceptics have long claimed that photos of the landing show shadows which face in the wrong direction, suggesting that the event was faked by NASA and was staged in and around Toronto, Canada. Conspiracist Gary Brownie has unearthed proof that Fantasy In Glass Glassworks a stained glass emporium of some note, has been based in Toronto for several decades and while out-of-this world, has never been anywhere but Toronto, on The Queensway in Toronto's west end. He claims that two employees who worked there disappeared shortly after in mysterious circumstances and that they have yet to be found.

Said Brownie, "The problem is that stained glass craftspeople are scared to talk about this - too many of their colleagues have been silenced over the years."

Canadian Space Agency sources scoffed and pointed to the timing of the story. "This is malice put about by opponents of the United States' plan for a Lunar Moonbase and a colony on Mars and the revival of lead came in stained glass"

More Spectrum Fusible but Don't Panic Lani

Lani is one of the owners of Bullseye, and seeing as she is still grieving over Ed her cat (see her comments elsewhere) and might be in a sensitive mood, Mikey needs to reassure her that we are still firmly and undeniably in the Bullseye camp- we actually just use Spectrum in the old bait-and-switch move to hook people to fusing and then get them to move over to Bullseye.
If you've been in this month to take advantage of our great Spectrum Fusible Sale we've reloaded the racks with another 400' from our delivery yesterday. And yes, the new stuff is even cheaper given we bought this stuff in the States and not here.

Wooden Crates for Sick Kids

We've got a dozen or so wooden crates that measure 15" wide by 40" long and 28" deep from our last shipment taking up some valuable shop space. They are great for storage and can even work as the base for a worktable.
First come, first serve with a $15.00 donation to Sick Kids Hospital gets you one.
We also have alot of Spectrum Rack Pack crates that are smaller, at $5.00 to Sick Kids.
That is all...

New Store Hours to Year End

effective November 19, 2007


Monday...........10:00am to 6:00pm
Tuesday......... 10:00am to 6:00pm
Wednesday....... 10:00am to 6:00pm
Thursday........ 10:00am to 6:00pm
Friday.......... 9:30am to 6:00pm
Saturday..........9:30am to 5:30pm
Sundays......Always Closed (Sorry)

Truck Delivery Arrives from The U.S.

Just arrived on this fine, damp and rainy day, our second delivery from the States in as many weeks.
This one contains over 3000 sale pieces of glass, as well as the same chemicals we can get here (or can't as they are always out of stock), but now cheaper due to the strength of the Canadian dollar and the unwillingness of Canadian suppliers to reflect that in lower prices to us. We are pricing all these sale squares at 25% less than if we were to buy them here locally.
For the fuser, we've brought in over a hundred new molds, again at an average cost to you of about 20-25% less, die cut fusing blanks, powder sifters, money clips, tie bars, button backs, etc...

They Wish!

You know, every time a rumour starts and the victim tries to refute the rumour, it tends to flame the fires even more so we address this one with some trepidation;
We are not going to stop selling supplies and just go into custom work. Heck, we've been there already having run a professional church window studio in our past. Especially now- we love the challenge of dealing with out-of-stocks from our current Canadian supplier and trying to find supplies elsewhere (and now cheaper too).
I suspect these rumours might have been started by a wishful thinking competitor or perhaps even a wholesaler, but we are here to continue to kick some butt in this industry that we've invested over 25 years in! They wish!

Today's Economic Lesson, or Don't Shoot the Messenger

Canadian dollar this morning- $1.0348- up over 20% in less than a year.
Price of goods to Fantasy In Glass from our Canadian supplier- the same (or even higher in some cases).
Apparently the only one making any money in the Canadian stained glass market is the wholesaler...

Massive Potential Recall Pending

TORONTO - More than a half-million tons of Chinese-made lead came may be recalled next week, including the popuar 1/2" round H profile and the little suncatcher u-channel, because they were found to contain levels of lead. Details to follow.

Anthropology of Stained Glass

The most significant discovery in Mikey's career was entirely serendipitous. Last April, the stained glass store owner was hiking in Germany's Neander Valley when he tripped over something on a trail. Some quick digging exposed the obstacle as the tip of a mastodon tusk. But it wasn't until a few weeks later when the entire tusk was unearthed and dated that Mikey realized the magnitude of his find. The tusk, he believes, is actually a Neanderthal glass cutter. Mikey calls it a Neanderthal "toyofigus." Like the grozing pliers discovered in Slovenia last year, the fact that the 50,000-year-old toyofigus predates the presence of glass makes it even more perplexing.

A carefully aligned hole starts at the top of the cutter and runs its entire length. "I think a Neanderthal master craftsman must have used a stone awl to hollow out the toyofigus," says Mikey. This cutter, he says, proves that while primitive man made and used tools, more importantly it suggests that Neanderthals used a cutter lubricant proving they were concerned with cutter wheel longevity.

While digging out the tool, Mikey uncovered the entrance to a cave and another major find: the first example of Neanderthal cave stained glass cutlines. Fittingly, the cutlines show lamp and suncatcher designs alongside proposed formulas for actually manufacturing glass once fire is discovered. "Maybe what we have here is the birth of a new hobby and artform."

Mikey theorizes that the Neanderthals' fondness for stained glass may explain why they vanished some 30,000 years ago. "Maybe their frustration at not actually having any glass to cut scared away all the game. They would have produced an awful racket all over the place complaining and arguing over whether Bullseye artglass would continue to be as popular as it is yet to be."

Thanks

For making us the most popular website in stained glass on the web. Over a half a million hits a month and Google ranking at # 1 for stained glass supplies, stained glass handsome guys, stained glass nice guys, good looking Mikey's, etc.

I'm Not Normally Quite That Rude

Lani McGregor (partner/owner of Bullseye Glass and also a blog author) is nice enough to read my blog, yet I neglected to give her blog a mention. Go here to read up on the trials and tribulations of this great glass manufacturer.
Oh, the picture attached? It has nothing whatsoever to do with Bullseye, but Lani posts so many pretty pictures to her blog, I felt it incumbent upon me to do likewise.

Mikey Feels a Good Rant Coming On!

Well, well, well. It's been what, about six hours since we last gave Bullseye some sort of mention, hasn't it?! In that case then it's about time to do a little rant on this manufacturer- and a nicer manufacturer we’ve never found.
While the Egyptians might have invented glass fusing (go here to read Mikey's Fusing Paper), it was Bullseye that turned it into an art form that is now accessible to almost anyone. Well at least to any of our customers, as we seem to be the only source of the full line of this great artglass being a dealer for almost ten years.
What about other manufacturers such as Spectrum which we also carry? A cheaper glass you say? True, but your colour selection is so limited you might as well be working with crayon. Of course you could fill out their limited palette with the accompanying glasses from Uroboros but, oops, there goes your savings. Why not just stick with Bullseye's palette of well over 200 colours, in various thicknesses, various textures, various iridescent coating styles and all the accessory glass like stringers, frits, fractures and powders to go along with it.
Heck, they are now also an up and coming supplier of rods for torchwork and were very generous in their support of our involvement in the recent Bead Oasis Show (as well as donations of glass to our Cooking with an Executive Chef seminars, etc).
The trend may be towards using a glass like Spectrum because of its cost (false), but we will continue to fight the fight and carry as much Bullseye as we can and will continue to price it aggressively to ensure it is available to as many people as possible. Besides, Lani McGregor (partner in Bullseye) (and Amy- retired sale rep for us) read our blog and as far as we know Spectrum doesn't.