Another Somewhat Unflattering Pic of Zenia

Is our bizarre way of announcing the posting of a new Monthly Sales Page- this one in tribute to Prostate Cancer Awareness- Movember (yes, Zenia's is real)

Today is an Exciting Day

Happy Halloween to All!

We celebrate this memorable day by pulling out our best chinaware in tribute to Dr. Frank N Furter...

Delivery Due In Friday

As is our usual custom, here's a copy of the 

packing slip of our order.

Only in Paris?

In Paris, the Sainte-Chapelle, a 13th century gothic church which has been under scaffolding almost constantly since the 1970s is slowly coming to completion after forty years. Here's a link to the video covering this story (we would normally just post it here, but there is a commercial before the video starts and we prefer you make the decision whether to watch it or not). When the project first began, officials had no idea it would take four decades (sounds like Toronto). But a new technique that involves molding a new glass wall on to the ancient stained glass was developed while the project was under way. This technique should keep the windows safe for generations to come.
Thanks to our friend Anne...

FIG Is Looking For An Electrician

If you are a licensed electrician, or know one, we have a small job for you. Give us a call at 416-252-6868.

Playing Around

Here's some Black Aventurine from Spectrum with a Thick Clear cap (makes the Aventurine look even more stunning as if that was possible!) with silver foil circles as inclusions.

Actually, Easy...

There's a lot of stuff going on in this plate (on this plate?... Always Contradictory Vanna Opal), but nothing that is complex or impossible for anyone with some moderate experience in glass- whether a stained glass person, or a fuser.

Firstly, the cutting is fairly straightforward, and a cinch when cut on a jig or with a strip cutter (don't worry- Mikey can show you or take his great one day seminar happening Sat. November 30). 

Next we used powder to fill in the lines of the Cord textured glass- black on the white and red on the black (not easily evident in this picture, but believe me it's there). 

Next it went in for a full fuse (seminar on fusing this Saturday- still room), and then on a mold and back into the kiln for a slump, and voila!

Still No Canadian Distributor

... means we are putting in another large truck order in the U.S.
This time we're bringing in a lot of unique stuff that we could never get locally (like Sp1009Black Thick for fusers!). If there is anything you might need, let us know by friday noon and we'll make sure to add it to our delivery. 

Gotcha!

Staff Caught Sleeping On the Job

Mikey Figgy, President of Fantasy In Glass Glassworks Inc wants retail store mascot and all around layabout Figimodo fired for allegedly sleeping on the job.

Mikey made the statement mid-afternoon just before his nap time.

Once More...

... they say that the shoemaker's kids have no shoes...

A Wee Bit More On This Week's Wee Folk Club

Some words from the Wee Folk Club co-founder, Enoch Kent (who it's rumoured, will buy every Fantasy In Glass customer who shows up their first drink of the night), about this week's performers:
"There are many ways to judge the value of a folk singer.
Did they bring pure entertainment coupled with material in their songs that made you think?
 The two singers at the Wee Folk Club Thursday the 17th bring many aspects of folk music to the fore.
Owen McBride and Paddy Tutty were chosen because of this.
 Each member of the audience has a personal point of view.
I've shared a stage with both of them and always enjoyed listening.
I think you'll enjoy their difference. Come and find out."
The next Wee Folk Club is THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17 at the Dominion on Queen (500 Queen St E, Toronto). Cover is $10. The music starts promptly at 7:30pm.
FEATURING: PADDY TUTTY and OWEN McBRIDE 
PADDY TUTTY:
Paddy Tutty is best known as a singer of traditional songs.  Her repertoire encompasses ancient ballads, songs from a woman’s perspective, magical and seasonal pageants, songs with a twist, and songs about the world around us. As well as singing traditional music from the British Isles and North America, she incorporates a few newer songs and tunes on guitar and concertina, but is best known for the driving rhythm of her fretted dulcimer and her renditions of traditional ballads.
Born and raised on the Canadian Prairies and based in Saskatoon, Paddy has performed for audiences across Canada. She has released six recordings on her label Prairie Druid Music, including her new CD, The Last Holdout.
OWEN McBRIDE:
A true, veteran folk music performer and storyteller. Owen has built a solid reputation over the years, as one of Toronto’s most accomplished storytellers and performers of Irish folk music.
Owen has performed at most of the major Folk Festivals, in clubs and concerts across Canada and throughout the United States. In fact, his first appearance at Mariposa Folk Festival was in 1964 and almost every year from then, until the mid 80s.
His stories and Tales were heard regularly on CBC Radio,  as well as at many Storytelling festivals in Canada and the U.S.

The Wee Folk Club Free (but worthy) Plug

This is usually a plug-free zone- there are just too many self-promoting sites out there pulling you away from the reason you went there in the first place. But occasionally there is something worthy of mention and this is one- The Wee Folk Club. Something started by one of our own- Enoch Kent.

This is a re-creation of what was best in British folk clubs.  A small room in a pub where singers sang songs with stories in them.

You know – FOLK Songs.
If you are looking for something worthwhile and different to do on a Thursday night then get down to the Dominion Pub on Queen, 500 Queen Street East, Toronto. The location is easily accessible by public transit (just take the Queen streetcar east to Sumach) or by car.

The room holds only 60 people making for a nice intimate setting, and if the performer sucks, they're close enough to hit with any handy flying object. 

Tell them Mikey sent ya and Enoch will have to buy you a drink! And way too cheap at $10 per person. The 1st and 3rd Thursdays of every month- each concert will start at 7:30pm.

 Upcoming shows-

OCTOBER 17, 2013
Featuring: Paddy Tutty and Owen McBride
Click here for more information about these performers.

NOVEMBER 7, 2013
Featuring: Crabtree & Mills
Click here for more information about these performers.

NOVEMBER 21, 2013
Featuring: Brad McEwen with Bill Nesbitt and Geoff Lewis
Click here for more information about these performers.

If You Can Identify the Original Lineup

... Mikey will be impressed...

Cut out of Opak Flashed Antique, by hand (no bandsaw cutting)...

What the Heck...

... Figimodo does nice work...

Too Much Fun

We've been having way too much fun fusing and slumping lately. Here's a few examples including the first two which are part of the System96 Projects Series that we now have prominently on display in the store with free copies just for the asking.

This last one above is actually a redo as our friend Amanda seems to have a much higher standard for accuracy than we do (the arm slipped on our first try- she was not amused). We made Elmo as an apology...

And Again They Say...

... that the shoemakers kids have no shoes...

More Hours to Shop

Monday......................Closed (sorry)

Tuesday ....................10 am to 5 pm

Wednesday................ 10 am to 7 pm

Thursday................... 10 am to 7 pm

Friday....................... 10 am to 5 pm

Saturday....................10 am to 4 pm

Sunday.....................  Closed (sorry)

Showing Some...

Much of the creative process involves doing a lot of experimentation- sometimes this might even turn out to be successful. With limited experience with silver inclusions (in and exposed) we thought we'd show you the results of some test strips showing the reactions between it and the glass...

Showing Off a Bit...

... and you can too!

Another example of what Mikey likes to call his Crumb Plate- a byproduct of a another project. Interested? Give us a call and sign up for the Puddles and Plates Seminar on Saturday October 12 and you too can make something just as awesome.

Just Wanted to Show Off

... some the the (many) stunning glasses available from Uroboros for both fusing and/or stained glass.

Below is their Streamer Bits on Clear fused on top of some solid opals (and slumped).

New Store Hours

No longer applicable

What can we say?
Vanna Opal is not infallible (hope you learn to like the couch honey... Vanna).
We might have erred in being open four days a week.
People need supplies and want easier access to those supplies.
You see, the agonizingly slow demise of Hollander Glass had and still is having a detrimental effect on our industry. Many of our competitors sadly no longer exist and with still no glass distributor in place,  getting supplies is still difficult for some.
But not us.
Our inventory has never been larger.
And more varied.
And even cheaper.
And now easier to get!

New Hours

Tue ....... 10 am to 5 pm

Wed ...... 10 am to 7 pm

Thur ...... 10 am to 7 pm

Fri ......... 10 am to 5 pm

Sat ........ 10 am to 4 pm

Sun ................... Closed

Mon ................... Closed

We Forgot To Mention

... in our delivery of a couple of weeks ago, we did get in a fair amount of art glass from Youghiogheny, Uroboros, Oceana and Kokomo- many as sale squares (rectangles actually... The Over Correcting Vanna Opal).
Here's a glimpse...

A Somewhat Unflattering Picture of Zenia...

... means that we've just posted this month's Sales Page. 
Just go here to check it out.