About

Bitka.com is the home of Rebecca FitzGerald Smith, a professional web designer based in Cork, Ireland.

Working as the Design Manager at Dragnet Systems, my areas of expertise include HTML, CSS & Photoshop with jQuery & WordPress on the side and a dash of PHP.

When I’m not web designing and indulging in general geekery, you’ll find me designing and handcrafting pearl & gemstone jewellery over on my hobby-site, Jou Jou Jewels

Topics of interest in the Snippets blog on this site  include jQuery, CSS, WordPress, HTML, graphics and general inspiration. In addition to web design related material, this web log also contains diversions of general interest including food, travel, shopping, books and much more.

For web design resources on a larger, more diverse scale, check out the Stuff 4 Designers blog where Bitka is a contributor.

Mydaily thoughts and distractions can be found at twitter.com/bitka, you can view archived screenshots of sites I’ve designed on my Flickr page and if you’re looking for resources take a look at bitka’s bookmarks on Delicious.

Bitka uses the Oxford Comma and is obsessive about grammar and punctuation. Errors and omissions excepted.

Fun Facts

Places I’ve been

• Venice
• Shanghai
• Beijing
• Xi’an
• Hong Kong
• Turkey (Ephesus)
• New York
• Las Vegas
• California (San Francisco, Death Valley, Yosemite)
• Arizona (Grand Canyon… wow!)

Places I’d like to go

• Petra, Jordan
• Madeira
• Malta
• St. Petersberg
• Egypt (Pyramids!)
• Thailand
• Washington DC
• India (Taj Mahal)
• Ah there’s loads!

Seven Wonders

Depending what you read, I’m collecting a few of these!

• Great Wall of China
• The Temple of Artemis at Ephesus

Hidden Talents

• Piano playing
• Singing soprano
• Designing and handcrafting jewellery
• Creative writing
• Languages: mostly not practiced (though I would like to work on them more) but I have a few words of French, German, Spanish and even Chinese!

Interests

• Reading
• Technology
• History
• Architecture
• Travel
• Cooking
• Health & Fitness (resistance training, kettlebells, yoga, step aerobics, rollerblading, walking)
• Card playing (gin rummy being the favourite family pastime!)
• Board games (the classics are the best!)
• Papercraft & printing (especially Letterpress)
• Design & Typography
• Psychology