Glass Challenge

I've been doing a bit more with beading lately. Currently I have some chokers, bracelets and earings on display at the Neighbourhood House to promote an upcoming beginners class. Enter Liz. Liz is a glass artist: would I like to have a go at making some jewellery with the glass beads she makes? Last night I went over for a visit. I got to see her set up and started to wrap my head around some of the ways glass is crafted. It was intriguing to see the differences and similarities to the way I work with my dyes and fibres. I brought home a few of her lovely beads to work with. The challenge is for me to work with a particular bead that already has something to say in its own right. I want to respect and enjoy that in the setting I find for it. Also the beads are all one-offs. I'm used to having as many of the same sort of bead as I like to use. At the bead shop I can buy anything from one to one hundred of the same bead. I'm looking for ways of combining several unique beads without detracting from their individuality. I also have the opportunity to suggest styles or colours of beads I'd like to work with. It's all quite exciting. Meanwhile these beads are sitting on my table so I can get to know them better. Oh, and don't imagine that there's nothing else on that table! I haven't quite finished with my procion dyes and then there's my labelling kit for my Folio samples, plus various other sundry items.