WHAT'S THIS ALL ABOUT?
I spend most of my free time making replicas of things that I could have easily purchased at a store. And yet, making these things makes me happy. I can't explain it much beyond that.
A Learning Log
While a personal website is a convenient way to show off finished projects, my goal with Built By Betts is not only to capture the completed project, but also the design and fabrication processes. Each project page on the website features a general description with context and motivation, as well as the new skills and techniques used in the build and lessons learned. For more complicated projects, I've detailed the build process in pictorial tutorial form. The goal here is to not only learn and develop my own skills, but also document with the intent of passing on what I've learned to whomever might be interested.
a ShowCase
It's nice to show off your handy work. I'm proud of the pieces I've made and I enjoy sharing them with friends and family. The Featured Projects gallery is a collection of projects that are not necessarily my most complicated, well executed or aesthetically pleasing pieces, but for some reason or another I am quite proud of. The Project Archive Index drops down to the complete list of projects, galleries and project debriefs that I've completed over the years. Specific Indexes included in the Project Archive include: Tables, Cutting Boards, Boards, Cutlery and Other Projects.
An Evolving Platform
Built by Betts is constantly under construction. Just as I strive to be always advancing my making abilities, learning new techniques and incorporating new skills, I aim to improve the ways in which I show case my work. Website design is a new discipline for me, and although SquareSpace is rather intuitive, there are a wealth of customizations and upgrades I haven't gotten around to implementing. Look for new features and design overhauls in the future.