Unlike many stand-alone vases, this one is not able to have the "hour-glass" shape. In fact, the potential for success is the greatest if the shape tapers, with the opening at the top being the largest location. Here's why: when the fiber paper is placed on the flat pieces of glass AND flat pieces of glass are position on top, everything moves very easily. Once fired, the glass droops and oozes downward (think gravity,) filling every nook and cranny accessible.
If the fiber paper "fudgecicle" is centered perfectly underneath the flat glass sheet above it and there is a flat piece position below, then when the piece is fired, the fiber paper will be perfectly enclosed inside the newly formed glass shape - there will be no opening to remove the fiber paper. For some applications this newly formed 3-D shape may be desirable, but for a flower container, not so much.
Not only does the fudge-cicle need to be tapered, but it also has to be placed on the bottom sheet of glass in a way the allow the cicle to protrude an inch or so beyond the desired mouth of the vase to ensure that there will be an opening with no shard-like edges.
In the side view, above, you can see the smooth rounding of the mouth of the opening. Also notice the opening between the blue rabbit-ear shapes. A second piece of fiber paper was placed in this space pre-firing to keep the edges of the opening as thick as possible and keep the space open for future wall-hanging possibilities.
Unlike a free-standing vase, this sconce-style wall vase has a flat back but it can hold water. I am not sure
that the glass bar across the top would be able to support the weight of water and flowers - I think I would want to embed firing wire into the design to strengthen the opening. Wire could actually be added at this point as an embelishment to strengthen the piece. I tried many new things in this piece and functionally each experiment was successful...now aesthetically...................................that's a different discussion!
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