1. Please bring an ordinary pair of household rubber gloves.

   The throwaway ones designed for single use are too flimsy for working with hypertufa, so select some sturdy gloves. Chances are good that the ones you keep beneath your kitchen sink will work just fine.

2. Please wear or bring an outfit on which you don't mind getting stains. It's best to wear long pants and long sleeves because you want to avoid contact between your skin and Portland cement. (You are more than welcome to use my house to change clothes.)

   My normal outfit for hypertufa production includes sturdy high-top shoes (because you're mostly standing when you work with hypertufa), comfy (and already stained) blue jeans, oversized T-shirt with sleeves that come below my elbows, barrettes to keep hair out of my face, and — of course — those rubber gloves mentioned above. Such an outfit pretty well covers every square inch of one's body from the neck on down, and that's precisely the goal.

3. Think about whether you want to make a small planter or a mini birdbath for your workshop project. No need to let me know in advance, as I'll have plenty of materials on hand for both projects.

   (Your fee covers not only the written handouts, CD, and safety dust mask, but also all of the construction materials needed for either a planter or a mini birdbath, including the mold that you can use over and over again.)

4. Bring a piece of plywood or an old cutting board measuring about 8" x 10" or slightly larger. This will serve as your carrier for your finished creation, so it has something sturdy to rest on when you carry it to and from your car, your yard, etc.

5. A few more things to consider bringing along — but not absolutely necessary. I include these because I've had more people say, "I wish I'd known more about this; I would have brought...."
   1. Shells, marbles, stones, glass, tiles, etc. Any such "little things" you might want to use to decorate your creation.
   2. Your own favorite bowl or plate — up to 8.5" in diameter — to use in the mini birdbath. Soup bowls from old china sets are perfect.
   3. Your camera — to have a record of how your friends look when they play in the mud and to take pictures of any designs you see that you might want to recreate for your own garden.

So! In a nutshell,

• Bring rubber gloves
• Wear old clothes
• Bring a piece of plywood or an old cutting board
• If desired, bring shells, marbles, stones, glass, tiles, bowl or plate