Diary of a Demented Store Owner

Monday 31 December 2007

Happy New Year!


To all of you from all of us here at FIG, who've helped make us a continuing success for 25 years running, all the best in the New Year! We love you all...

Sunday 30 December 2007

More Pictures of Stuff With Zenia


Click here to go to a little photo pictorial of some of the latest new fashions in dichroic glass on the massive shipment we got in just before Christmas. This shipment included both 90 and 96 coe glass.

Saturday 22 December 2007

What's This?


Apparently, Lani's cat has been seen working the local 7-11 (with Elvis no doubt) over the Christmas holidays...
Merry Christmas to all our friends and customers and all the best for 2008!

Friday 21 December 2007

Another FIG Timewaster or Party Saver


We all know how having the In-laws over can sometimes be stressful so that's why Mikey posted another 360+ pictures here from his travels to Europe this summer to provide you with some distraction and enjoyment. Our little Christmas cheer to you. It also might help Mikey get over his grief over Edward the Cat...

Thursday 20 December 2007

Bullseye Glass Shipment


Apparently the Chinese are coming with cheap product for fusing- we just received some samples from a wholesaler in the States, and cheap is definately the operative word here- price and quality wise.
Heck, but let's be honest here- the stuff could be made on the wings of angels and we still wouldn't consider it. The Bullesye Glass Company has earned and deserves our loyalty. They're the one who provide endless technical support. They're the one holding millions of dollars in inventory to guarantee speedy delivery (hey, where would we be if we needed to depend on our sole Canadian stained glass supplier for Bullseye?). They're the one running a department of 9 full-time technicians who test and teach seven days a week. They're the one working directly with hundreds of artists to stay on top of new methods and demands. And lastly, they're the one with Edward the Cat- I still weep every night over Lani's loss of that cat (I wish I could call him Ed, but that would be just too disrespectful).

We take receipt of a sizeable truckload mid-January. While the order has been submitted, we are open to anyone that might have some specific requests to add on.

All their new colours will be on this order (as they were on our last) as well as Tekta 3mm Clear and slumping molds. Go here to see the new stuff.

Wednesday 19 December 2007

Mikey's Christmas Present... Not!

On our Fig Pictures Page, you have a door to over 2000 pictures that we've taken over the years on our travels. You'll find everything from Chagall's windows in Zurich, to Tiffany windows in Corning and New York, NY. This is where you'll find stained glass works from France, Italy, Austria and Switzerland (you think Mikey takes his money to the Cayman Islands?). And, just to mix it up a bit and to offer some insight and inspiration we thought we'd add in some interesting pics from other disciplines and artists, so you can find an exhibit from Dali, a Formula 1 auto exhibit from Sauber in Lucerne, Switzerland. and just added today, one of the greatest houses of worship- the Ferrari Museum in Maranello, Italy.
CHRISTMAS HOURS, 2007
Mon. Dec. 24.................10:00am- 2:00pm
Tues. Dec. 25...................CLOSED! YIPPY!
Wed. Dec. 26.................. CLOSED! YIPPY!
Thurs.Dec. 27............... 12:00pm- 4:00pm
Fri. Dec. 28................... 12:00pm- 4:00pm
Sat. Dec. 29.................. 12:00pm- 4:00pm
Sun. Dec. 30................... CLOSED! YIPPY!
Mon. Dec. 31.................10:00am- 2:00pm
Tue. Jan. 1.......................CLOSED! YIPPY!
Wed. Jan. 2....................11:00am- 6:00pm

NEW HOURS (effective January 2, 2008)
Monday.......................11:00am to 6:00pm
Tuesday...................... 11:00am to 6:00pm
Wednesday.................. 11:00am to 6:00pm
Thursday..................... 11:00am to 6:00pm
Friday......................... 10:00am to 6:00pm
Saturday..................... 10:00am to 5:00pm
Sundays..................................Always Closed

Friday 14 December 2007

Sorry, I Forgot

As only a lowly shopkeeper, we sometimes forget we need to be lawyers as well when putting stuff on sale. So here is our disclaimer for our Taurus 3 Ringsaw Sale-
We are temporarily sold out. Apparently our price was so good that we had Americans buying them!
As the blog is the place for all official FIG news, our website pages may not reflect these changes as quickly (our webmaster does not work as quickly as Mikey- and therefore is unable to afford weiners for his Kraft Dinner).
We will have a shipment of ringsaws arriving today, but they unfortunately will not be at the same price (but close). Rather than hide this shipment until January, we felt it best to offer them at a still great price and maybe take a little heat for being unable to sell them at the sale price (which now is below our cost)

Tuesday 11 December 2007

Bullseye's Special Production Rodz Coming!


Seeing as Zenia is here for a couple of days and the toilets have already been cleaned, Mikey thought it prudent to get her to write her Christmas letter to Santa and all he got was a list of Bullseye's Special Production Rodz. On her list are the following colours;

Aurora, Aurora II, Vintage Rose II, Lavender Blush, Light Pink Sapphrine, Very Fine Mikey, oops, I mean Purple, and Hematite Lustre.

Mikey has a special in with the Bullseye Elves and is assured that these are all arriving mid-January...

Okay, Enough Goofing Around- Here's Some Current Stock News

Mikey sometimes forgets that this blog is a great place to pass on pertinent information about Fantasy In Glass stock, news, etc. not just the other (but of course, factual) stuff like Conrad Black being once again disappointed about being unable to take our stained glass course. So here's a quick note about what's in and still out of stock;
IN:
Finishing Wax, 1/2" and 3/8" U-Zinc channel, stained glass putty, Glastar strip and circle cutters (great Xmas present!), a limited amount of full sheets of Bullseye Tekta (our Bullseye truck shipment with case lots of this glass will be in mid-January), Spectrum 100F, 30 x 40mm oval jewels (for angel heads)...
Still out:
Too many- unable to list due to space limitations...
Other Stuff:
We've sold out on our Taurus 3 ringsaws, but have another shipment coming in on Dec. 14, but most likely at a different price.

Monday 10 December 2007

Conrad Black Appeals to Court - Wants To Sign Up For Stained Glass Course at FIG


CHICAGO: After several weeks of deliberation, Lord Conrad Black received the bad news he was not looking forward to hearing. His Lordship has discovered that the stained glass beginner course being taught at the facility where he will be spending the next six and a half years or so is nowhere near as good as the one being taught at Fantasy In Glass Glassworks.It was announced today that Lord Black (or BU0100F as he’s known to the staff at FIG) had enrolled in the Beginner Course at FIG (as taught by Louie or Treece), confident that he would be able to attend. Special arrangements were even made to accelerate the curriculum to accommodate his anticipated trip to a more secure environment in the New Year. Requests from His Lordship for gold-plated Supercutters lubricated with Truffle Oil and grinders filled only with sparkling Evian Rose Water were even being considered by the management, but were items only found in less secure settings. It had also been suggested by Ms. Black that a complete duplicate set of studio tools be provided for his Lordship in England as ‘you can never count on being on the right continent at the time when you need your tools’. Rumours that the razor strop from Lord Black’s purchase of Napoleon Bonaparte’s shaving stand is now being used to sharpen his newly purchased Don Carlos Solingen Steel Lead Knife (available exclusively at Fantasy In Glass) has not yet been verified.

Friday 7 December 2007

Christmas Hours











Mon. Dec. 24.................10:00am- 2:00pm
Tues. Dec. 25.....................CLOSED! YIPPY!
Wed. Dec. 26.................... CLOSED! YIPPY!
Thurs.Dec. 27................. 12:00am- 4:00pm
Fri. Dec. 28..................... 12:00am- 4:00pm
Sat. Dec. 29.................... 12:00am- 4:00pm
Sun. Dec. 30...................... CLOSED! YIPPY!
Mon. Dec. 31....................10:00am- 2:00pm
Tue. Jan. 1..........................CLOSED! YIPPY!
Wed. Jan. 2......................11:00am- 6:00pm

Taurus 3 Ringsaws Update


If we bought them from our local (and only) Canadian supplier these great glass saws (with a round blade) would cost us more than what we've put them on sale for! I guess that's why we've got only four left at $388.88!

Wednesday 5 December 2007

Store Owner Claims He Invented Sliced Bread


TORONTO, ON- In a published interview in 'The FigLeafLet', president of Fantasy In Glass, Mikey See claims that he invented the concept of sliced bread. "It's a little known fact that several months ago when I was toiling in the back room of FIG's stained glass studio working on the quintissential teddy bear night light, I succumbed to a compelling urge to do something different with my lunchtime break. Tired of having to open my mouth to the extreme to accomodate a full double rye loaf, I developed a mechanical device that slices an entire loaf of bread without polluting the atmosphere nor contributing to global warming. Though I'm a modest person I take full credit for this invention," said Mikey. A spokesperson for the National Bread Association scoffed at Mr. See's assertion. "Frankly there were many people who made major contributions toward the development of sliced bread and Mikey See is not one of them."
"This is another one of his half-baked ideas that he's gotten into his head," said Jim Davies of the Stained Glass Store Owners Accociation.

Sunday 2 December 2007

Secret To New Glass Pattern Found, Then Lost

Three staff members at Bull Eye Glass have claimed to have unlocked the secret to a new art glass which contains both squares and stars in a random pattern, then just as quickly lost the secret due to 'just trying to do too many things at once.'
Gary Brownie, chief researcher of the Bull Eye's Really Pretty Colours Department said he and his colleagues found the formula to this long sought after colour pattern, "but then just lost it,  although we knew it was there, and we just had it." Brownie added "It was so bizarre. I was just looking at our test firings and complaining about how the squares were more like parallelograms and having been fed up with the staff's persistent insistence with coming up with some sort of splotchy "Fremont Antique Glass type look with streaky striped edges on the sheet"  and I guess I put this beautifully perfect squared and starred piece down and couldn't find where I put it. I spent all afternoon looking everywhere, even in the drawer with all those discarded polarizing lenses and old 'Approximately System 95 or Thereabouts' stickers.  I have no idea how we find anything here.  Anyway,  I just couldn't find it."
Head of the Really Pretty Colours Research Department, Louie MacGrettor suggested  Brownie look in his lab coat when he finds it just in case he was going to put it there.  Commenting on Brownie's well known absent-mindedness, MacGrettor related the one time Brownie was looking all over the lab for his stressometers, and discovered he was wearing them on his head. It was so funny. MacGrettor is still "sure it's somewhere. I mean, where else could it be?" 
Everyone was careful to think about where they went after making the discovery, hoping to retrace their steps, although doing so usually resulted in them tripping and bumping into each other. Brownie added " I really worry about telling my boss that we lost it. We misplaced a formula for an extra dark white just earlier this month. He won't be too happy."