CCR #2 - Baking Magazine Step 28

 CCR

2) How did your production skills develop throughout this project?

I answered this question with a cartoon that I drew. I uploaded it below:

CCR #1 - Baking Magazine Step 27

 CCR

1) How did you integrate technologies-software, hardware, and online-in this project?

To answer this question for my reflection I created a infographic. Enjoy!

https://canva.link/1we4j77bosubplz

Baking Magazine Step 26

Software's used throughout the process - photos

Here are just some photos of my editing process using Photoshop and Lightroom: 

Baking Magazine Step 25

 My Finished Magazine

After working on it for months, my baking magazine is finally done! It's great to look at all the recipes, pictures, and layouts all come together. I learned so much from the experience like how to format, crop photos, use different software's, and have everything looking professional. In this post, I'm showing my final product all put together. 

    

Baking Magazine Step 24

                                        Editing Magazine: Cover

Lastly, all I have left to edit it my cover page. During the whole editing process I made quite a bit of altercations with my layout because when I started putting everything together there was some changes that needed to be changed or added. 

After looking at my sketch again I realized I didn't really like the layout and that it was too crowded. So instead, I took away the bowl with the blueberries (as drawn in my sketch) and kept the cake/cake slice itself. I also did not frost the top of the cake to make the readers mostly pay attention on the inside layers of the cake. I also focused on the cake slice and put the rest of the cake in the background, changing the placement of the slice to be on the left and front instead of back and left.

Next, I switched the text placement for the "64...Occasion," instead of having it be on the left side I moved it to the right and overlapped it with empty space. The last big change I made was making the shapes rectangular behind the "Summer Sweetness" and "Lemon Blueberry Layer Cake pg. 33" text to match the layout more. 

For the font, I stuck with the title font I talked about in my other blog and it turned out fantastic! For the rest of the text I played around with several fonts to see which would make it stand out more. I kept the # on the top right and the text above it which featured other recipes which could be found in the baking magazine. My text color was simply white to contrast from the background which was a good choice in my opinion. 

Overall, I am really happy with how this turned out! It's so much more put together than I was expecting, and I like how all the pieces fit together. Now I feel way more accomplished as I finished editing all my pages and am satisfied with the result!

Baking Magazine Step 23

                         Editing Magazine: Double Page Spread - Ad

My next page was the advertisement. This is an ad for Pillsbury cake mixes. I spent a lot of time adjusting the layout, fonts, and background to make everything look just right. The goal was to create an ad that stands out but also makes you think of the comfort of baking at home with Pillsbury mixes. In the end my ad turned out very different from my sketch.

Developing this ad for Pillsbury was a fun challenge because I wanted it to be welcoming and engaging. After having the general layout in place, I spent a lot of time messing around with little things such as the background, shapes, and fonts to see what I could change to improve the layout to ensure it was neat. 

One of the first things I changed was the background. Instead of having the countertops and the kitchen I removed the background so most of the focus was on the stand mixer and cake mixes. I opened up more space for text  such as my slogan and added a circle shape which I than wrote "ONLY $1.46 in stores and online!" to grab more attention from my readers to purchase the product. 

I also used a variety of fonts for this specific page to make each individual text stand out. One thing I removed which was originally in my sketch was the "New Flavors to Love!" because I thought it was an extra detail which I didn't need. 

Lastly, on the bottom of the page I added a five star review from a customer to engage the readers more and for them to see the product is worth the buy from other people than just me. 

Will all these changes done, the advertisement now feels balanced, professional, and interactive!

Baking Magazine step 22

                     Editing Magazine: Double Page Spread - Contents

After finishing my first double-page spread, I can start working on the second. This blog will mainly focus on how I edit the table of contents for my magazine. For the most part I kept the layout exactly the same, the only thing I changed was the placement of the mixing bowl and added a page number on where you can find details on 'props and materials'.  

In addition, I kept the background color the same as in my other double-page spread to keep it looking sleek and match the overall layout. Small adjustments can make a huge difference, so I spent some time tweaking the font and decided to use "Sitka" for my text under the 'Contents'. I kept the text next to the image on the bottom left in the same font as my main text on the other double-page spread to continue the theme/layout. 

        

After all the changes, the table of contents finally looked neat, organized, and simple. It took some time to edit, but it was well worth the time to have everything looking perfect. 

Baking Magazine Step 21

 Editing Magazine: Double Page Spread

After many hours of work, I have finally finished editing my first double page spread. This next post is about the editing process of my double-page spread. This is probably my favorite page in my magazine. I really like how everything came together, It fits the Coastal theme perfectly with the colors and the desserts. My double-page spread features three desserts with the recipe and method, along with a tips and tricks section. For the most part, I stuck with my initial layout.

Here is how it came out! For the page color, I made it  a pale pink. I chose not to use white because it looked too bright and plain. This shade of pink fits the theme and makes it feel warm and welcoming.

On the dessert picture on the left page, I added a transparent circle with the name of the dessert. The font is in a handwritten style to keep it easy to read and fun. Also, at the bottom and top of the page, I changed the banner to a rectangle shape to fit the page better, the shapes include the amount of time it takes to make the dessert and how many people it serves.  I included this in my sketch and I am glad that it executed the way I wanted. 

The main text on each page definitely took a a lot of adjusting. I wanted the font size for everything to be the same or only slightly different to keep everything looking cohesive. I had to choose different sizes for the recipe and method text on both the left and right side of my double-page spread. For my body font, I knew I wanted it to be simple and plain to keep it easy to read, so I stuck with that. 

On the right page, to the left I placed my "Tips & Tricks" column. I made sure to include tips that I personally find useful in the baking process. By doing this, I knew it would be a great addition, not just something to fill the space. The title and text of the column is in a different font to stand out more, making it easy to read and easy to pay attention at. 

On the left column of the text on the right page I included a 'sign' to make it more fun and change things up. It includes the total time and the amount the recipe make. For the dessert name I placed it under the image so it pops. 

   

Once again, I love how this page came out and I am excited to work on my other double-page spread and cover! 

Baking Magazine Step 20

  Prepping/Taking Photos: Double Page Spread Pt.3

For the right side of my double page spread I baked the last dessert which completed the look. This dessert had a lot of components which made it a difficult and long process but in the end it turned out good. 

Since this was the only photo on the right side of the spread I needed to ensure that it stood out compared to the other photos. I took this picture in natural lighting and changed the angle compared to my original sketch. I placed a slice of cake on a plate in front of the cake and focused it so my viewers can see the layers better than If I focused on the main cake. I'm excited to put my first double spread all together using software's such as Indesign, Photoshop, and Lightroom to make it look professional and aesthetic. 

Baking Magazine Step 19

 Prepping/Taking Photos: Double Page Spread Pt.2

For my next blog I will be making the second dessert for the left side of my double page spread. In this blog I include a few photos of my process and my final product. I'm very excited that I am done with my desserts partially and I can start taking picking which two I want for my baking magazine.

I started off by combing egg whites, sugar, vinegar, and vanilla extract till I got a thick consistency. I than spread out the meringue batter onto a rectangular tray with parchment paper. I baked in the oven for 20 minutes on 320 F. 

While my meringue was baking in the oven I prepared the cream filling with berries. I whipped together heavy whipping cream and confectioners sugar till I had a creamy consistency. 

I then, cut the strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and blueberries for my filling. After, I added them into the cream filling and placed in the refrigerator till my meringue cooled for 30 minutes after the oven.

After my meringue was cooled, I put 3/4 of the filling inside and spread it out evenly so it wouldn't come out on the sides. 

I then rolled up the meringue and placed it on a cake stand. I realized the meringue would not look that presentable on a cake stand because the shape did not match so I looked for alternative design and found a colorful plate which perfectly contrasted the pavlova. 

After my pavlova was refrigerated for about 3-4 hours I put the rest of the cream on the top and added some extra berries for color. I grated lemon zest on the top too so it would have some yellow because that always looks good with black, blue, and red. I placed the pavlova on the colorful plate and started to think of how to take the right photo for my baking magazine. 

I still haven't decided exactly which photo I want to use in my baking magazine but I have narrowed it down to some choices. My next blog will talk more about my process!

Baking Magazine Step 18

Prepping/Taking Photos: Double Page Spread

The next blog is how I made my chocolate chip banana bread. This will be the one of the four recipes in my baking magazine. I think this was my easiest recipe because I have made this recipe countless times. 

The first step was to grab all my ingredients, which helped me assure everything was organized to make the baking process smoother.

To start the batter, I mixed together sugar, softened butter, and eggs in a stand mixer until incorporated. 

Next, I grabbed the banana's, peeled them, and moved them to a bowl so I can mash them up.

Here I used a fork to make the texture mostly smooth, with little chunks. 

After, I added the banana's into my stand mixture and poured a little vanilla extract, and mixed all that till is was combined.  

In a separate bowl, I combined flour, baking soda, and salt. 

Then, I added my flour mixture into my batter and mixed. 

After my batter was fully ready I added mini chocolate chips and stirred it together. 

Next, I grabbed a loaf pan and glided a small piece of butter all around to make sure the batter doesn't stick. I also added a little flour and moved the pan in different directions so it would distribute easily. 

Lastly, I baked the banana bread at 350 F for about 45 minutes, allowing it to rise and obtain golden brown edges by the end. 

When the banana bread was done baking I let it sit for 10 minutes, and set up the counter area, where I took the photos. 

I thought this design looks very simple and nice so I decided i will place my banana bread on the wooden board. 

I then took many pictures to try and figure out which angel and position my banana bread would look best in for my magazine and concluded this was the perfect one.