Everything starts somewhere.

Seven years ago, tucked up in bed - or more to the point laid up in a hospital bed with pneumonia - I read a novel titled "The Perfect Present' by Karen Swan.

Have you ever tried reading with an oxygen mask strapped to your face? Trust me it's not easy but nevertheless the book really captured my attention and drug induced imagination.

Page 8: 'The move from jewellery hobbyist to professional goldsmith had been accidental'.

Page 9: 'Laura walked over to the bench and began casting a critical eye over the previous day's work - a necklace that was for wedding next week'.

P133: 'Laura wrinkled her nose as she gently tapped her brass hammer, forcing the gold in her hand to yield and bend. .......Laura put down her blowtorch....'

P311: 'She'd worked for six hours solid when she'd gone back to the studio last night - desperate to do something other than think - as she heated and melted, annealed, shaped, hammered and fired .....'

I still really wonder about the impact that novel had on me. I started searching for courses in jewellery making and finally found two options in Adelaide.

A short time with the first teacher led to my introduction to Jacques Fabian - internationally accredited Gold and Silversmith - and the happiest and most fulfilling career path in my life.

Someone once said 'A woman without jewellery is like a book without words'.

In my case the words in the book have led to a woman making lots of jewellery.