Diary of a Demented Store Owner

Saturday 28 February 2015

New Silent Convective Water Cooled Kiln Line Comes to Fantasy In Glass


Tired of your kiln getting hot and overheating? 
Upset that every time you turn it on it keeps melting your glass? 
Had enough of burning yourself whenever you turn it on? 
Then the BoneArf is the kiln for you.
With BoneArf's new water cooling technology you never have to worry about all those heat related problems associated with a hot kiln! 

Utilizing special silent convective water cooled dedicated overclockers and thermoelectric coolers in place of more common standard heat exchangers. the patented BoneArf water cooling system is a technological tour-de-force. Its uniqueness lies in the way in which it cools water directly by the evaporator coil of a phase change system and is therefore able to chill the circulating coolant below the ambient air temperature of the surrounded room's air and, as a result, provides superior cooling of the kiln's heat-generating components.
Remember, with the BoneArf and its patented cooling system, you no longer get all those pesky problems associated with a hot kiln (like melting glass).


(paid advertisement)

Friday 27 February 2015

Just In By Email


Spectrum's great Score #126 is now available for download. And if you are a fuser there's a great Project Guide using their new Vanilla Cream glass.
Go here...

Thursday 26 February 2015

Wow! Every Tuesday


Come in on any Tuesday and pick from over 8,000 cathedral Sale Squares for an amazing Tuesday Only Sale!


Grab 10 transparent Sale Squares for only $33 

(wow Mikey, that's $3.33/ft- we'll never be able to afford wieners for our Mac'n'Cheese now... Vanna Opal)!
(mix any 10 squares with a maximum of 3 of the same colour) 
While supplies last...
Tuesdays only...

And if you are a fuser (or even if you are not) we are doing this same sale on transparent fusible Spectrum glass-


Grab 10 transparent Fusible Sale Squares 
for only $77 

(mix any 10 squares with a maximum of 3 of the same colour. 151/152 not included) 
While supplies last...
Tuesdays only...

Saturday 21 February 2015

Mikey Dispells Another Urban Myth


On the first day of my first stained glass course, my instructor attempted to perpetuate the common myth that glass in windows flows over time, that's why glass is thicker at the bottom in church windows." A few years ago, Edgar Dutra Zanotto published an article in the American Journal of Physics (#66, May 1998) in which he calculates the time it takes for glass to flow. He estimates it will take 100000000000000000000000000000000(10 to the power of 32) years for the glass to show any noticeable change at normal temperatures. Oh, by the way, the age of the universe is 10 to the power of 10.

Saturday 14 February 2015

Mikey Claims He Invented Sliced Bread


TORONTO, ON- In a published interview in the 'Diary of a Demented Store Owner', president of Fantasy In Glass, Mikey Figgy claims that he invented the concept of sliced bread. 
"It's a little known fact that several years 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. Figgy's assertion. 
"Frankly there were many people who made major contributions toward the development of sliced bread and Mr. Figgy, I assure you, is not one of them."
"This is another one of his half-baked ideas that he's gotten into his head," said Gary Auburn of the Stained Glass Store Owners Association.

Friday 13 February 2015

Niagara-on-the-Lake

Took an unplanned trip to this quaint little town on the weekend, sometimes known as the town that put Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw on the map. 
It's also a town where you can hardly find a place that serves Shaw's preferred beverage- Guinness. In any case I did see a couple of stained glass windows I thought I'd share with you.
Here at the Prince of Wales Hotel, a nice series of windows-

Here's a detail shot of the figure-


... and below is an absolutely stunning ceiling skylight from The Queen's Landing, shamefully partially obscured by a tacky chandelier, apparently built by some firm called Fantasy In Glass...




Saturday 7 February 2015

Wow! Who Knew!?


The Spitzer Space Telescope crew have stitched together 800,000 frames of data into an enormous mosaic of our galaxy. This is just a tiny glimpse of the whole shebang, showing the Milky Way's violent stellar coming of age.
Of particular value is that it shows the location of Fantasy In Glass (the centre of the universe).
'They should have called it The Mikey Way', says the very astute Gary Brown.
Of course ...

Friday 6 February 2015

NBC Anchor’s Credibility Comes Into Question Once Again

NBC News anchor Brian Williams still reeling from a story resulting in his credibility being seriously threatened got hit again this morning with another report attacking his honesty and integrity.
As reported last Thursday, Williams’ claim that he was in a helicopter struck by a grenade during the Iraq war was refuted. He has since admitted to and apologized for this falsehood. NBC officials were yet undecided as to whether Williams would face disciplinary action.
This may now change. 
It seems that reporters have since heard of another more serious falsehood involving Brian Williams and have spoken to the proprietor of Fantasy In Glass, Mikey Figgy about this matter. 
When questioned Mikey confirmed that contrary to Mr. Williams most recent statement, Mr. Williams was not a student of his Intro To Stained Glass Course held at 703 The Queensway in Toronto’s west end. 
While Mr. Williams had claimed that he had attended and passed said course, Mr. Figgy states that Williams in fact did not, but rather was in another course (Intro to Fusing) which was a week behind. Mr. Williams was only able to pass this course with the help of Connie Chung.

Thursday 5 February 2015

Spectrum's New Fusers Reserve

Further to the above couple of posts Mikey thought it a good idea to post some more info from Spectrum's website on this interesting glass and the whole area of reactive.


... and then you can go here to get your own chart and information on reactive glass (copper and sulphur)

.. and in closing, here's a copy of the entire System96 glass line...

Copper and Sulphur Reactives and Strikers

... these are all interesting effects with interactions and heat treatments with fusible glass. And something Mikey and the staff at FIG love explaining, sharing. and talking about.  Just the other day Mikey posted on our Facebook Page and on Instagram some before and after pics of Spectrum's newest Fusers Reserve- Vanilla Creme- that does some interesting things in the kiln as evident by the piece shown below (3 pcs stacked and then fused flat).


And if you are on Facebook (make sure to like us- Mikey is so needy), and are interested in reactive glass fusing check out the Glass Reactors Group where Mikey came across this very effective piece graciously donated to display here by Kevin Yivisaker Aifd Cafa.