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HOLDING A PIECE of intricate silverwork up to the light, Semina Lewis ponders the source of her inspiration. At 40 she's just embarked on a brand new career as a jeweller. And she's loving every minute of it.

"As a child, I was always artistic," admits Semina. "I was very quiet and very shy - though you wouldn't believe it now! I used to sit and watch everyone and everything; just drink it all in. And I've always been drawn to colour and pattern. It wasn't something conscious, but I just seemed to absorb it."

Now a mother of three, living in St Neots, Semina led an exciting childhood - which took her all over the world. Mixed race, she was born to a Pakistani father and a mother who was half Irish, half New Zealander. "I came from a real mixture of cultures," says Semina, with a laugh.

"My mother, being a typical New Zealander, took us all over the place as children. She had lots of pen pals who we used to visit, staying with their families rather than in hotels. That was a great way to see the world.

"We went to Czechoslovakia in 1969, when I was only three, and I still remember it; I still have images of that trip in my head. I also remember Norway…We went everywhere: we were very fortunate.

"I was exposed to so many different cultures - different styles of architecture, clothes, cooking. I think all that has inspired my work in some way, whether consciously or not."

Creating her own pieces, from solid silver wire and a treasure trove of glittering gems and glass beads - fittingly sourced from around the globe - Semina intended to start her jewellery business slowly, by just selling a few items on the web.

But when she launched Silver Wire Designs, little over a year ago, the enterprise rapidly took off. As word of her work spread, online orders came in thick and fast. And Semina found herself with two stockists: Barretts in her hometown of St Neots and an outlet in Oxford.

From clean, sweeping lines to complicated patterns, Semina's jewellery is very distinctive: it's all fashioned from wire, by hand, and threaded with semi-precious stones, exotic glass beads and silver charms. A June baby, she is a big fan of pearl, her birthstone. And she also works with peridot, amber, topaz, moonstone, blue and green jade and cornelian, her bead box looks like the end of a rainbow.

Semina's raw materials come from all over the world: her pearls are bought in from Asia, and she orders glass from Italy. Her collection, which grows by the day, is remarkably eclectic.

Among her most popular designs is a series of earrings and pendants made form fine wire which she crochets (using tiny metal hooks) into globes, hearts and other shapes, peppered with tiny eye-catching gems. "I can remember my mother crocheting when I was quite small," adds Semina. It always appealed to me, so I thought I'd see how it worked with wire."

Originally a photographer's assistant, based in London, Semina went on to do a graphic and web design course. Then, when oldest daughter Cleona, 15, came along, she wanted to work from home - so started making made-to-measure wear. "I really enjoyed it," she recalls. "I made mostly waistcoats and bow ties. I did a lot of craft fairs, and took Cleona with me. But my two little boys aren't really craft -fair friendly, so I decided it was time to find something I could do at home.

Semina, who moved to St Neots in 2002 with husband Tony, juggles her jewellery business with caring for three-year-old Pelé and Zico, one. "Pelé loves looking at what he calls my 'pretty things', laughs Semina. "When he gets his hands on them, they end up all over the place."

Semina does most of her work, including all the necessary soldering, once the children are safely in bed. "They come first," she says. "They're only young for such a short period of time."

Instinctively creative, Semina says her designs just pop into her head. "I rarely start a piece knowing how it's going to end up," she explains. "The shapes just come to me. Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night with a shape in my head, or a pattern. Tony always tells me to either put it down on paper, or go downstairs and make it - otherwise I can't get back to sleep."

Making everything from earrings and bracelets to pendants and tiara, Semina says she's really found her niche. "It's fantastic," she enthuses. "I've always found doing intricate things like this quite calming; it doesn't really feel like work, because I like doing it. But maybe in 10 years I'll have changed my mind!"

Words Alice Ryan Pictures Warren Gunn

by Kind Permission of Cambridgeshire Journal Magazine - June 2007