Use an oven for solder reflow vs a pancake skillet. You can measure and control the temperature much better.
I use an old Sears 4-element toaster oven and an Extech 330 with thermocouple probe for temperature monitoring.
Hot soak Kester EP256 solder paste at 150C for 90 seconds, then ramp up to 195-200 for 90 seconds, then let cool.
I don't make my own boards, my designs are too complex for that. Plus I want plated thru holes, solder mask, and stencils. No way I'm doing all that by hand:
http://www.crossroadsfencing.com/BobuinoRev17/
I buy bare boards from iteadstudio.com, they've been turning them quick lately - I placed an order on the 8th, received boards the 17th (DHL shipping). 9 days! So fast they beat the solder paste stencils I ordered from Pololu.com, so I'm waiting on that delivery to assemble boards now.