Just the Facts...

Most Canadian retail stores must buy from our One and Only Canadian Stained Glass Supplier, where they have added a U.S. Dollar Surcharge to all their prices.

We refrain from making any editorial comment and will just let the figures speak for themselves.

Surcharges are as follows:

Oct. 15, 2008- (dollar at .845 cents)- surcharge is 7.9%

May 29, 2009- (dollar at .916 cents)- surcharge is 16.0%

Monthly Sale for June Now Up

Another unflattering picture of Zenia signals the arrival of another monthly sale at Fantasy In Glass. Check it out here...

And just another reminder. We are currently closed on Mondays...

Al's Window

Every once in awhile we come across a great piece of work. This window's the culmination of Theresa (one of our teachers) who did the original artwork and Al (he's the piece of work).

Aanraku Bails

Sometimes maybe they're just too small...

and sometimes perhaps they're just too big...

But now they should be just right as Aanraku's incredibly popular jewelry bails now come in a medium size.

And they are on sale this month too!

Glass Fusing with 90 Continues to Get Bigger

Uroboros is an equal opportunity manufacturer- they make 90 coe glass that 'fits' with Bullseye and System 96 glass that 'fits' with Spectrum. They've just announced the addition of another fifteen 2- colour streaky colours, but issued the picture above that shows just ten (?). I guess the others might be clears? (lame joke- sorry...Mikey).

They've also just announced the existence of this glass as a 90 although we've had it for awhile as a 96 glass.

Wine Bottle Stopper

Makes a nice personalized gift- just add your own glass work in the 1" circular recess.

But as Mikey has discovered, while it will work on a twist top bottle, it 'ain't worth a damn on a Box of Wine'(his fav' no doubt)...

New Store Hours

Well, not quite that bad, but we will be closed on Mondays for the summer starting Monday May 18th...

Just the Facts- No Editorializing

Our One and Only Canadian Stained Glass Supplier instituted a U.S. Dollar surcharge way back in November, 2008 when the Canadian Dollar made a dramatic drop.

Here's just the facts:

Nov. 21, 2008-

CDN Dollar is at 77 cents... surcharge is 19.5%

May 8, 2009-

CDN Dollar is at 86 cents (up 10%)... surcharge is 18.8%

(down less than 1%).

Just the facts...

The 'Why Can't We all Get Along' Rack- Bullseye, Spectrum, Uroboros and Wasser, but all very clearly labelled...

Spectrum fusible cathedrals...

Fusible Spectrum (96) opals, Mists and Opalarts with some fill-ins from Uroboros (for the colours Spectrum doesn't make like reds) ...

The Boneyard (remnants of Bullseye mottles, Chicago Art Glass and even Uroboros...

Bullseye fusible opal sale rack...

Bullseye fusible cathedral sale squares with some furious stuff at the top...

Another new rack...

A new front rack...

Another rack at the front of the store, a little more wild- ring mottles, catspaw opals and fracture/streamers...

Walk through the front door and look left, you see this rack. Predominately Spectrum with a few others like some fracture/streamers thrown in...

Mikey's Math Lesson for the Day

Fantasy In Glass has eleven 8' Sale Square Racks and one 4' rack.
That's 92' of Sale Racks
Each Rack is nine rows high.
That's 828 linear feet of Sale Racks.
Each Rack has an average of eight slots per row.
Tthat means there are about 800 slots in these Racks.
Each pocket holds an average of 14 pieces of glass.
These's also a dozen Rat Pack Boxes each holding about 90 pieces.
That means Fantasy In Glass has over 12,000 Sale Squares on sale ALL THE TIME!
On top of that, when you buy 5, you get 1 free, buy 9, get 2 free, buy 12, get 3 free...
And that applies to all 12,000 sale squares appropriate for your stained glass project
... and about 4,600 fusible glass sale squares (both System 96 and Bullseye 90)!
Here's some pics ably taken by Zenia yesterday...
Walk in our front door this is the rack to the right, containing mostly Spectrum Glass, from simple cathedrals of all textures, up to more exotic stuff like 2-colour baroques and iridescents.

"John predicted Bullseye Glass’ Newest Colour Releases’” claims Yoko

New York, New York - Yoko Ono, widow of slain Beatle John Lennon, claimed today that "my John" had foreseen the introduction of many of Bullesye Glass’ pending new colours over the years, before they were released and even more shocking- even before the formation of the Bullseye Glass Company. The latest colour correctly foreseen by John is their new and exciting Aventurine Blue. This assertion for predicting the production of BU#1140, which has shocked everyone in the industry, is based on an early, unrecorded version of a song that Lennon wrote in 1967, 13 years before his untimely death.
Ono unearthed the song while "rooting through a few drawers". Underneath an old Spectrum Glass stocklist, she discovered the song, recorded on a portable cassette player, entitled "Yer Blues" that predates its release on the Beatles’ White album (a reference to Bu #0113 no doubt).

"He just loved that colour and how it sparkled and made him forget about his less talented song writing partner Paul (letters to Ed at fig@fantasyinglass.com)".

"Many a night John and I would stay up, recording our own music, just the two of us ( you know, the really good stuff like Two Virgins), influenced by colours such as Aventurine Blue, never having yet been invented" she reminisced.

Famed record producer, Phil Spectrum exclaimed, “For all those years up until his tragic death, John waited anxiously for that day when Dan, Boyce and Ray at Bullseye would listen to his music and finally realize John’s dream and develop this colour.

Scientists have dismissed Ono's claim, stating that at the time of Lennon's death, the glass community was preoccupied with finding a really nice Honey Opal . One journalist, with no interest in stained glass, asked Yoko "Is it not obvious that McCartney was vastly more talented than your late husband?" and was told "Do you see any songs written about System 96 colours? Or any about Slumpy's fusing molds? Besides, what do the songs say eh? Lennon/McCartney. LENNON/McCartney, THAT'S what they say. McCartney never even foresaw the proliferation of reasonably priced Coneart kilns".

It’s also speculated that Lennon foresaw Bullseye’s manufacture of a line of rods for torchwork when he wrote a song with the working title of ‘Give Beads a Chance’.

Nurture or Nature

Are we a product of our environment, or of our genetic makeup? 

In other words, does the ability to do creative and technically proficient work come from instruction and guidance from organizations and people such as those found at Fantasy In Glass, or are peoples' level of ability predetermined based on who their parents are?  

Well, if you only shop and get your knowledge from the internet you might never find out. You see, bricks and mortar suppliers have so much more to offer aside from just selling you supplies. While some people have natural ability, there is so much your local retailer offers- like which cutter is best suited for you, whether that wheel is still good, or why you should reconsider some of the glass selections made (it may be end-of-stock, or unrepeatable, or difficult if  your pattern has lots of inside curves), all things that only they can properly help with. 

So, while this note might seem a little self-serving, remember, your local bricks and mortar supplier is actually the best source for help, advice and supplies, not always the internet, because sometimes when you think you might be saving money that might not actually be the case.

And that doesn't just mean us. We might be the first and still only officially sanctioned glass supplier in Canada, but there's still lots of competition out there keeping us all on our toes. Like Jennifer at Home and Haven, a fusing glass supplier and instructor in Kitchener at 817 Queen's Blvd (tel:519-579-7213). Drop in for a special Open House on Sat. May 9th and view her Spring line of giftware, crafts and jewelry..

New Month, New Set of Sales

Monthly Sale for May 2009 has been posted. 

More importantly we get to post another embarassing picture of Zenia- this time an early one...

Oh yeah, go to the sale here...

Stained Glass News #85

The latest issue of SGN is in. Leave work now and come in to get your own unsullied copy. 

In this issue, you'll find:

• find out what's new and due to be unavailable or out-of-stock in Canada, including: pattern books, pattern CD's, fusing mold release, professional series tools, lighted strip to backlight your projects, bevel clusters and fusible decals.
• reader hints, a reader's workshop and more on "The Readers' Page"
• Randy's Help Desk Randy Wardell—Dealing with Residue on Your Glass
• Mosaics & Stepping Stones Julie Bishop Day—Mosaic Birdhouses and Garden Art
• SGN Classic Column Carolyn Kyle—Design it Your Way
• this issue's Free Pattern: Summer Sunflower
• a page of photos from readers in The Readers' Gallery