... and from Mikey, Vanna Opal, Zenia, Nicholas Picholas, Theresa, Louie and Guido...

It's Christmas, OK?

Hence the somewhat flattering picture of Zenia (along with that publicity hound- Figimodo). In keeping with the spirit of Christmas, Mikey is feeling somewhat charitable, and felt the usual totally unflattering picture of Zenia to announce the posting of the Monthly (and Boxing) Sale Page was perhaps something we didn't have to do this month. Seee our biggest sale yet here...

Another FIG Success Story

"Thanks FIG"

"Before I started buying all my stained glass and fusing supplies at Fantasy In Glass, I ate macaroni and cheese and people loathed and shunned me. 
I was a total loser.
But now, thanks to the friendly folks at FIG, I have a new girlfriend, a numbered Swiss bank account and an impressive collection of Steuben glassware."

David Chase

Christmas Store Hours

Monday Dec. 24.....................Closed (sorry)

Tuesday Dec. 25.................... Closed (sorry)

Wednesday Dec. 26.............. Closed (sorry)

Thursday Dec. 27.................. 10 am to 5 pm

Friday Dec. 28....................... 10 am to 5 pm

Saturday Dec. 29....................10 am to 4 pm

Sunday Dec. 30.....................  Closed (sorry)

Monday Dec. 31..........................Closed (sorry)

Tuesday Jan.1........................ Closed (sorry)

Wednesday Jan. 2 ........................... back to 

normal hours (somewhat)

Sporadic FIG Button Design

Do you do stained glass?
How about fusing?
Is anybody you might know aware that you do? Your friends? Family? Parole Officer?
Then you better get one of Fantasy In Glass's official glass related buttons- new ones appearing sporadically (we're not sure)! Just check the blog.
Here's #7.
Only $2.88 each
Shipped anywhere in Canada for a lousy $5.88 (taxes included)!

A Big Thank You To You!

For more than twenty five years, FIG in concert with you, our loyal customers, have consistently been able to raise and donate funds to aid those less fortunate. We do this through the sales of all our scrap glass, empty glass crates, and used tools. In recent years your donations went to the Silver Creek Preschool in Etobicoke. We copy below a thank you to all of you from Jim Serba who began this fundraising drive in memory of his son Michael.

Jim Serba

A big Thank You to all of our 2012 participants and supporters.
Once again we had another hugely successful year and we were able to donate $23,000.00 to Silver Creek Pre-School .... an incredible group of people who do an amazing job working with children with physical and developmental challenges.
Thank you all from the bottom of our hearts.

You may all now pat yourselves on the back for helping out...

It's The Truth

Contrary to popular opinion, it is not true that if you melt dry ice, you can clean the flux or patina off your copper foil project without it getting wet.

But it is true that we've lowered our price on solder by 20%!

Just a Quick Note...

Two colours from the Spectrum Sys96 line that have been now discontinued. We do have a limited amount left, but it's dwindling fast now that the news is out- SP210.72 (Almond) and SP216.71 (Khaki).

FigSip Silver Patina Back In Stock!

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 FIG Chemicals 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)

Our Infamous Electro-Figtrometer

See our ever attentive staff meticulously running each and every sale square we receive through our own in-house electro-Figtrometer. 
Used on all our glass shipments to detect and eliminate excess radiation and bad karma, this is one of the many steps we take to assure your safety and protection. Another reason to shop at the World's Greatest Stained Glass Store.
Tomorrow it will be getting quite a workout as we expect a shipment, this time from our one and only Canadian supplier, which will include 1300 Spectrum Glass Sale Squares. Hope Jim Matthews is reading this...

On October 31, 2012, the Diary of a Demented Store Owner Blog erroneously reported that the Canadian Stained Glass Wholesalers Advisory Board (membership- 1) had advocated the kidnapping and tar and feathering of Mikey E. Figgy (our beloved leader). 
In actuality, Mikey's middle initial is 'G'. The Diary regrets the error.

Uroboros Heads and Tails

Glass, Liquid or Solid? The Definative Mikey Answer Here

So, what is it this mysterious substance we call glass? Is it a solid? Is it a liquid? Do four out of five dentists recommend it? (Which makes you wonder who visits that one out of five dentist, and what does he recommend?...Ed) Let's join hands and explore the subject together. Okay, let's assume it's a liquid for a minute. It has to be, right? We've all heard the stories about pulling glass out of old windows and how the pieces were all thicker at the bottom proving that the glass was slowly flowing downward. Heck, the way the glass was flowing pretty soon all our churches will have their sanctuaries full of puddles of flowing stained glass windows. You'll have to step over the Good Shepherd and his sheep to get to your pew! With all those uncovered windows with all their cancer causing light streaming through them congregations will be forced to take communion wearing Vuarnet sunglasses and wearing sunscreen. Actually it's a sham. Old glass is typically mouth blown and therefore varies sometimes quite significantly in thickness, disproving the notion that glass might be a liquid.

Well if it's not a liquid then it stands to reason that it's a solid, right? Webster's Dictionary defines a solid as "a substance of definite shape and volume; not liquid or gas." There you go, problem solved. But, hey, wait a minute. Isn't something a solid only when its molecules are motionless and lined up in flawless geometric fashion, like your grandma's furniture doilies. We call this "crystalline" (the solid, not grandma's doilies, unless she seldom washed them). A liquid on the other hand is quite the opposite. Its molecules are constantly in motion and entirely random in structure. Well, what do we do now? It seems then that according to the scientist, glass is neither a solid or liquid because its molecules are motionless (like a solid) but random in configuration (like a liquid)- so we'll call it a liquid? Actually a better word is vitreous.

If you look around there's lots of stuff that's sometimes a liquid and sometimes a solid. Take that stuff wrapped in foil at the back of your fridge for example. Or water. Or iron. At any given moment, their state depends on their temperature. Water's molecular structure is random until the temperature moves down to zero Celsius (how come they don't use centigrade?) when its molecules start to crystallize- namely, line up in perfect lattice-like order and stop moving. Below zero and bingo, now it's a solid. And the amazing thing is that zero degrees is like a light switch. Above it's a liquid, below, it's a solid. But vitreous substances (like glass in case you've been sleeping until this very moment) do not have a freezing or melting point. As temperature decreases the free flowing molecules in molten glass simply slow down to the point where they just won't move anymore. But they stay random with no crystallization occurring. Got it? So, glass then is neither a liquid nor a solid, but it's sleazy and exhibits definite characteristics of both. You might say we now have Four States of Matter instead of three- liquid, solid, gas and glass.