Featured Seller: Jill Matthew

It was a life changing event that led Cambridge glass artist Jill Matthew to make a full time job of her craft. Two years and several power tools later, Jill’s passion for glass fusing and intrepid approach to her work keep her coming up with fresh ideas and adding new designs to her colourful collection.

Red Waffle Plate by Jill Matthew

What do you make?
I make fused glass pieces, from jewellery to platters and beyond! Fused glass is the heating of glass layers, powders or shapes of glass in a kiln to many hundreds of degrees to melt it all together.

How did you get into your craft?
By accident really! I did a glass bead making course while on holiday in Nelson and enjoyed it but was working full time as a nurse manager at that stage. In 2009 I got very sick with a serious neurological illness and needed to learn to walk, write, eat etc again. This lead to a “life’s too short” moment and as a boredom buster for my lengthy recovery I bought a microwave kiln. The obsession with melting glass grew, and I convinced hubby to buy me a “proper” kiln for my 30th birthday. Two years later and the obsession is still growing and has become my full time job – with two kilns and a variety of power tools!

A selection of pieces by Jill Matthew

Do you have formal training or qualifications in your craft?
My highest training in art remains School Certificate! I’m completely self taught in glass fusing.

Your favourite materials, tools and processes?
Tools – all of them, kilns being the most important, but I’m currently more than a little obsessed with my sandblaster!

Materials – I love the colours art glass comes in, it gives great scope for mixing and matching colours. I also enjoy upcycling glass – such as turning old windows into plates, or empty bottles into cheeseboards or trays.

"There are many challenging processes, I get so excited every time I try something new and it works!" Jill Matthew

Processes – there are many challenging processes, I get so excited every time I try something new and it works! I also take all my own photos and do all my IT so there’s always website updating, Facebook posting and of course Felt listings!

What inspires you?
Anything and everything! We live in a beautiful country full of artistic people so there is always inspiration to be found in our environment. It’s amazing how something simple can trigger an idea for a piece. My husband is great to discuss ideas with too, he doesn’t just listen to me yammer, he joins in the conversation, bouncing ideas off him helps feed the inspiration!

Is there a philosophy behind your work?
I like to create pieces that are unique, it has never been my goal to “mass produce”. I love that I couldn’t reproduce any of my pieces exactly even if I tried.

Clockwise from left: Manny, kiln guardian; Jill; one of Jill's glass designs

Describe your workspace:
I am very lucky in that our house has a separate two roomed studio at one end. I have the kilns and packaging section in the upstairs part, and I cut and assemble my glass in the downstairs part. You’ll usually find me working in there surrounded by haphazardly placed items with an old TV series playing on the DVD player on my ancient TV! My saw and sandblaster hang out in the garage as they are too big and messy for the studio.

Five words that describe you:
Warped sense of humour, systematic, creative, excitable, shy.

Your favourite feedback from a customer:
The response to my latest custom order was great: “I absolutely love love love it. It’s exactly what I wanted.”

What are you currently listening to?
I confess I love ’80s music – current faves would be Meatloaf, Queen and Bon Jovi.

Your favourite childhood book? See Ya, Simon by NZ author David Hill.

What are you reading now?
I seem to be in a Chick Lit phase at the moment – currently anything by Jill Mansell is being devoured.

Blue glass platter by Jill Matthew

A favourite quote:
Life’s too short. (Or anything humorous from Blackadder or Black Books!)

Do you have any pets?
Manny the cocker spaniel, Gypsy the small grey cat, and Zeekie a 9 year old black rabbit. Oh, and a tank of tropical fish! Manny is the self appointed kiln guardian, and Gypsy is his deputy. I often find them curled up in the studio enjoying the kiln warmth.

If you were a crafty superhero, what would your name and superpower be?
I couldn’t think of anything so typed my name in online and it came up with “The Fearless Enigma”! That seems to fit quite well as my superpowers would be not being scared to try new things in the kiln while being puzzled about how I came up with that idea in the first place!

What was the last handmade item you bought?
Bracelets from the lovely Trena at YGM Jewellery Design Handcrafted Jewellery.

Comment below to go in the draw to win a set of black and white coasters by Jill Matthew

Check out more of Jill’s work in her Felt shops, Jill Matthew and Funknetics, and leave a comment below to go in the draw to win the set of four Black and White Waffle Coasters pictured above! This draw is open to New Zealand residents only. The winner will be drawn on Friday 3 August.

38 thoughts on “Featured Seller: Jill Matthew

  1. I ADORE the piece I purchase for The Man Of My Dreams, from you. It has pride of place in the lounge and I never ever tire of looking at it. You’re so very talented Jill, your happiness and positivity comes through your work and I smile whenever I look at your work.

    Keep it up beautiful girl!

    (oh, I LOVE Jill Mansell! I have HEAPS of her books on my Kindle – oh how I love my Kindle…every girl should have one!)

    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

  2. Wow, just when you think you have seen lots of the same, someone comes up with some outstanding original work. Beautiful products Jill.

  3. Hi Jill, Love all your bold, bright work! Especially the blues (and the reds for light releif). You sound just great! (a bit warped, like me ;)). PS thanks for the shout out for YGM Design Handcrafted Jewellery! 🙂

  4. I love the wonderful light and colours that your work details, just beautiful and bold. Thank you for sharing your personal experiences that have led you to your creative talents, there seems to be a few of us nurses that have this wonderful outlet of craft 🙂

  5. Glass is my favourite medium. I create lampwork glass beads. Your work is just beautiful and your story behind how you came to do what you love full-time is so inspirational – I too am a manager in nursing and currently make beads as a hobby. I would love to work with glass full-time. You have inspired me – thank you 🙂

  6. Great to see a young person following a dream.
    You are right, life is too short so we all need to take a leaf from your book and go for it.

  7. Every piece of Jill’s work is stunning – you just want to reach into the screen to touch! She has a brilliant eye and is so talented – love the enthusiasm that she has for life comes thorugh so effectively in her work – shine on!!!

  8. Hey Jilly! Thanks so much for the rainbow necklace for my birthday! Awesome – you know me too well!. Awesome being the Felt Featured Lady!. Your work is awesome, and getting awesomer every time I see something new. J

  9. It has been exciting to see your passion for glass grow, as you create your diverse range of beautiful shiny pieces. You always seem to have a new idea ‘in-the-pipeline’. We wonder….what’s next….

  10. I love seeing the work that Jill produces – it is always cleanly designed and beautifully presented! ps – I’m in France – so no chance of the coasters – but wanted to comment anyway!

  11. Hey there is my fab blue plate. must say it’s even BETTER than i first thought (if that is even possible) the light catches the different blues and they just sparkle. It goes so nicely with my blue coasters also. Love this ladies work. So talented and gives such awesome fast service also.

  12. Hi Jill, been following your work since you popped over to my Facebook page and introduced yourself. Find your glasswork absolutely stunning and think its great you are following your passion and doing what you love, I agree that life’s to short to be wasting it doing something boring! Love the waffle design and would love to win the coasters!!

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