Hi! My name is Laura Crawford. I’m a metalsmith and maker of custom headbadges, as well as a writer, speaker, traveler, and advocate. But what you really need to know is that it’s my bicycle that makes it all possible.

In 2009, I sold everything to travel by bicycle. Goodbye furniture, goodbye dishes, goodbye book collection… Hello freedom, amazing stories, and portable studio. Yep, for three years, I adventured around the US and New Zealand with my amazing partner (Russ), a tiny wardrobe, some camping gear, and a small collection of my favorite hand tools. So much for lightweight… I literally traveled with a bag of hammers!

I learned how to work with metal way back in 2004, in the form of a night class at the local community college. I took this little bit of knowledge and ran with it, never regretting that I didn’t go whole-hog and get an art degree. I made jewelry and headbadges for years before we started traveling – but it wasn’t until we took the pedal-powered plunge that I understood how I want to use metal to tell a story.

Metal may seem tough and rigid – but it’s also capable of bending and moving in unimaginable ways. It can embody snapshot memories and forever tell your unforgettable stories. When I sit down at my workbench or in front of my sketchbook, I draw from our collective moments. Simplicity in design and form has become even more important to me – and I hold firm to the belief that it doesn’t take a showroom of complex tools to create something strong and beautiful and memorable.

Keep up with me on Facebook.

Follow our bicycle travels: The Path Less Pedaled.

Read my reflection on traveling by bike: Wheaton Quarterly – “A Moving Experience”.

Watch a mini-documentary about making headbadges: