cRUCES
CREATIVES

Ideas for at Home - cont.

Sustainability & Affordability

Maybe sustainability or cutting costs at home are on your mind? How about planning for some new projects?

Solar

Solar cooker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPRkwnpv-C8

Solar dehydrator

https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/tools/solar-food-dehydrator-plans-zm0z14jjzmar

Making Clothes

An amazing set of instructions with NMSU:

https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_c/

How to Measure and Plan for Clothes

https://www.clothingpatterns101.com/body-measurements.html

Patterns

https://so-sew-easy.com/free-sewing-patterns/

Cloth Baby Diapers

https://www.diapersewingsupplies.com/free-cloth-diaper-patterns/

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: Fix-It-Fairs

Tools: Use the Wood shop, Textile lab and areas around the whole building!

Tools: Use the laser cutter to cut fabrics once you know your pattern

Digital Illustrating & Photography

Maybe the Organ Mountains were especially beautiful today, or you’re ready to start your new business with some product shots and a few flyers. Now is a great time to learn the software and some photography tips and tricks!

Free and Cheap Software Options

https://digitalsynopsis.com/design/adobe-creative-cloud-free-alternatives/?fbclid=IwAR0qv_3rVDQ8UZlO0RYgnXN8BIDvEtYKEUL-0wakpda1A-KtDrRt8bJBaos 

Simple Photography Tricks

https://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/20-easy-photography-tricks-that-will-make-you-picture-taking-master.html

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: Doña Ana Photo Club

Events: Photography Boot Camp

Tools: Use our backdrops, lights, and private studio to make your photography project come true

Tools: Use our photo printer to print your images

Drawing & Painting

Quiet time without deadlines is perfect for really getting into a drawing or painting. And in between sessions, maybe it’s time to catch up on some art history to help place yourself in the grander scheme of art. (If you’ve been to art school or plan to, be ready for this idea.)

Doodling for Kids

https://www.kennedy-center.org/education/mo-willems

Different Drawing Techniques

https://design.tutsplus.com/articles/how-to-start-a-drawing-5-methods-for-beginners--cms-26001

Art History

12 Famous Museums Tours

https://www.travelandleisure.com/attractions/museums-galleries/museums-with-virtual-tours?fbclid=IwAR0-yOjTDuM19S_WOlWwVhCYdsMso2l_kifb3IbLl-voWPudwIuyOReT_UM

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: Join one of Wayne Huber’s drawing classes – Beginning Drawing and Painting, Youth Art Classes, Intermediate Drawing and Painting, or Art Critique

Events: Open Studio for Artwork

Events: First Friday Art Shows

Tools: Use our easels and take advantage of our spare art supplies

Tools: Use our projector to trace designs for large images

Tools: Use our light tables

Opportunities: Reach out to curator@crucescreatives.org to have a show at Cruces Creatives

Small-Scale Vinyl Cutting

Did you know Cruces Creatives has several Cricut vinyl cutters? You can access the software online for free and plan your designs ahead of time. Maybe you want an inspirational quote on your wall, maybe you want to relabel your shelves, or make stickers for your business. Make your designs now and come in later to cut them.

Free Online Cricut Software

https://design.cricut.com/?_ga=2.241737730.146713271.1584575816-1223371455.1584575816#/launcher

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Tools: Come use our Cricut cutters

Tools: Use our heat press for t-shirts, hats, bandanas, and more

Science and Technology

Make a game, an app, or work on that gadget sitting in the garage. And if you’ve made a new design or a scientific discovery, or are on the way towards one, come build your experimental equipment with us. Plan out your machines and have your designs ready for the tools when we reopen. Also think about having a presentation with us to share with the community. This can be a great way to get feedback to push your idea forward.

Gaming

Teaching kids coding through creating a game

https://make.gamefroot.com/

Make a Game

https://www.buildbox.com/license-options/

Areas of Growth in Science

https://www.monster.com/career-advice/article/most-stable-professional-sectors-science-technology

Areas of Growth in Technology

https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/technology-media-and-telecommunications/articles/technology-industry-outlook.html

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Tools: Take your photographs, make marketing materials, and get your ideas off the ground using our photo lab, vinyl cutters and more

Opportunities: Do a presentation with us and get feedback from your peers. Submit a proposal

https://crucescreatives.org/Propose-a-Program

Ideas for at Home - cont.

3D Printing & Laser Cutting

Now is a great time for home research and learning new software tools. Take some online tutorials to learn more about 3D printing so you’ll be ready to jump on the machines when you come back.

Beginner’s Guide to 3D Printing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T-Z3GmM20JM

Learn about Laser Cutting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdACSB8GH3Y

A Few Software Programs to make Designs

Tinkercad

https://www.tinkercad.com/

SketchUp

https://www.sketchup.com/

Inkscape

https://inkscape.org/

For the Future at Cruces Creatives: 

Tools: A variety of 3D printers

Tools: Our laser engraver and cutter

Audio Recording

What stories do you think you might want to share with future generations, or what songs are you working on that you want to record and release? Make your outlines, practice your pieces, and come record when we reopen.

How to Write a Song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_QnHGFDo1jo

147 Ways to Write a Melody (an interesting view on melody writing)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I2Ej4Jpquas

5 Places to Collect and Preserve Family Stories

https://www.thoughtco.com/online-memory-sharing-1422102

For the Future at Cruces Creatives: 

Events: Come to our Audio Recording Classes

Events: Come to our All Original Open Mics

Events: Come to the Crossroads Songcrafting Collaborative

Tools: Use our audio recording equipment

Getting Fresh Air – Walking & Bicycles

Fresh air and sunlight are great for health. If you run into any goat heads or realize your bike needs a tune-up, come visit us for the Community Bike Shop once things reopen!

Las Cruces Trails

https://las-cruces.org/1417/Trails

For the Future at Cruces Creatives: 

Events: Come to Saturday Community Bike Shop

Events: Come to Thursday Community Bike Shop

Tools: Repair or upgrade your bike in the Bicycle Shop

Tools: Repair your shoes in the Textile Room

Cooking, Casting & Cooking Tech

So much time for cooking and enjoying food! Also, did you know Cruces Creatives has a small vacuum mold maker for casting, and that we’re working on larger plastic machines as well? If you’re into making chocolates, gummies, and other candies, start practicing your recipes now and come make new and interesting molds when we reopen. (If you’re wanting to make custom molds, you might also want to learn 3D printing.) Also, you can start new solar cooking machines in preparation for the summer!

Casting & Mold-making

Introduction to flexible molds:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR9U9oQp6pE

What is Vacuum forming

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJ2khPSVYoo

Chocolate molds

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yH-vL-SsynA

Gummi molds

Intro

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3_dV-e4d9c

Making a custom gummy or chocolate mold

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BRwLxSwXpuM

Ok, this is sort of ridiculous, everyone might want to watch: Gummy Chicken

https://laughingsquid.com/a-life-size-gummy-chicken-created-by-casting-a-real-cooked-bird-in-silicone/

Solar cooker

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPRkwnpv-C8

Solar dehydrator

https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/tools/solar-food-dehydrator-plans-zm0z14jjzmar

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Tools: Use our vacuum former to make custom molds

Tools: Use our 3D printers to make custom designs

Tools: Use the wood shop to build a solar cooker or dehydrator

Writing – Poetry, comedy, stories and more

Expressing yourself and capturing a moment in time is part of what makes art. While you’re hunkered down, get some writing in, then come share your creations at our next Open Mic or next Writing Workshop.

How to write a Poem

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z0BUYzMypi8

How to Write a Joke

https://www.standupcomedyclinic.com/how-to-write-a-joke-2/

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: Writers Workshop

Events: All-Original Open Mic

Tools: Use our audio recording and / or photo backgrounds to record your pieces! 

Ideas for at Home

We’ve made quite the list of activities, so skip right down to your areas of interest!

Education for Kids

Keeping up with the kids, work, and home is a challenge, here are a few ideas to help keep them busy with learning!

Maker Ideas

3 Weeks of Making Ideas:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1T4CZCt8hJqYLVT5ZVYpR7SgHLWDWaaUO/view?fbclid=IwAR2FFtyXTUfwctZlA2K1vIslDOaD74vucbhFcdUe_A503NG5kZUjkU6TuU4

STEM Activities

http://clearinghouse.starnetlibraries.org/

Virtual Tours

Over 30 Virtual Field Trips including zoos, farms, the Louvre and more    https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SvIdgTx9djKO6SjyvPDsoGlkgE3iExmi3qh2KRRku_w/edit?fbclid=IwAR2GIMwveZXD0Fd5M4sEXy4zIU2gsyupr9bIvBlMANbA13-FIzyf_SrBWGg

Coding

Hour of Code:

https://code.org/learn

List of online coding programs:

https://mommypoppins.com/coding-kids-free-websites-teach-learn-programming

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: STEAM Team (new registration opens in the fall)

Events: Summer Youth Maker Days (details to be released at a later date)

Events: Disassembly Days

Garden and Plants

This is a great time to start some seedlings, plant trees, and begin planning for a garden. Did you know if you have some old tomatoes you can try sprouting some of the seeds? Growing some food and getting sunshine can be awesome.

Vegetable Gardening for Beginners

https://www.almanac.com/vegetable-gardening-for-beginners

New Mexico State University Horticulture Publications

https://aces.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: Plant Share

Events: Seed Share

Tools: Build window boxes, container gardens and more in our Wood Shop

Sewing & Knitting Projects

A little extra quiet time might be just what you need to get going. If you have extra supplies at home, this could be a wonderful moment to start a blanket for an upcoming grandchild, or a loved one far away—or, if you’re waiting till Cruces Creatives re-opens to access machines, it can be a great time to do research to decide what projects you’ll want to do next.

150 Easy Sewing Projects

https://www.sewmyplace.com/project/150-sewing-projects

Free Patterns and Tutorials for Sewing

https://www.allfreesewing.com/

Free Knitting Patterns

https://www.allfreeknitting.com/

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: Fiber Arts Fridays

Events: Charitable Crafting

Tools: Use our Textile Room, filled with over a dozen different textile machines and lots of available fabric, to make your projects.

Wood Shop Projects

Likely, you’ll be waiting till Cruces Creatives re-opens to start building, but this is a great time to decide on ideas and make your plan. Is there a space in the house where you’ve always wanted a custom piece of furniture? Take your measurements now, plan out your material list, and come ready to build!

Planning         

How to Make a Cut List like a Pro

https://www.woodcraft.com/blog_entries/a-pro-s-guide-to-cut-lists

Bill of Materials and Cut List

https://www.woodbin.com/ref/project-design-and-planning/bill-of-materials/

Plan of Procedure

http://www.woodbin.com/ref/project-design-and-planning/plan-of-procedure/

Wood Shop Ideas

31 Indoor Woodworking Projects:

https://www.familyhandyman.com/woodworking/projects/31-indoor-woodworking-projects-to-do-this-winter/

Rockler Free Woodworking Plans

https://www.rockler.com/free-woodworking-plans

For the Future at Cruces Creatives:

Events: Basic Wood Shop Safety Training

Tools: Use our full wood shop, along with a hefty supply of spare wood, to make your projects.

Starting a New Business

With less commuting time and more time at home, maybe this is just the push you’ve needed to start that new business. If you’re making a product-based business you might need to hold off on building stock if you need one of our tools, but in the meantime, you can start your business plan and run financial numbers to make sure everything adds up.

For NMSU students and recent graduates

Studio G, Business Accelerator program (including online education resources)

https://arrowheadcenter.nmsu.edu/program/studio-g/

Write a Business Plan

https://www.sba.gov/business-guide/plan-your-business/write-your-business-plan

Steps for starting a business in New Mexico

https://financenewmexico.org/steps-to-starting-a-business/

For the Future at Cruces Creatives: 

Tools: The entire makerspace has opportunities for your ideas. The laser cutter, wood shop, and textile room may be good places to start.

Tools: Our multi-purpose rooms make a great place to work

Tools: Use our photography studio to take great photos of your product

Tools: Use our audio recording equipment to make marketing materials

Tools: Use our vinyl cutters to make custom stickers

Tools: Use our Textile Room and Wood Shop to make custom displays

Tools: Use our Electronics room to laser cut custom signage and light it up with our soldering equipment.

Cruces Creatives Temporarily Closing

Thank you so much for being a part of Cruces Creatives and our wider Cruces community. 

To keep the safety of our community a first-most priority, and to follow Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham safety order, Cruces Creatives has decided to temporarily close. We will be monitoring the situation and tentatively reopening April 11th, 2020. 

If you need special access to the facility (for example, to retrieve project materials), please send an email to support@crucescreatives.org or post a message on Slack. We will accommodate such requests as needed.

Please heed the advice of national and local health authorities and be safe. 

Thank you again for being a part of our Cruces Creatives community.

Very best,

Lea Wise-Surguy, Executive Director

The Cruces Creatives Board

The Admin Team

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Community Resource List

A short list of resources from our awesome and giving community

Food

Multiple Sites

Las Cruces Sun News 

Free Breakfasts and Lunches for Students

Las Cruces Public Schools in conjunction with Families and Youth, Inc.

Desayunos y Almuerzos Gratis para Estudiantes

Escuelas Públicas con el apoyo de Families and Youth, Inc.

All Families and Youth, Inc. Food Locations

Food locations

Casa de Peregrinos – pick up food or donate food

Pick up or donate

Hotline for Seniors and Disabled Adults who cannot access groceries

Grocery Hotline

NMSU Students

Aggie Cupboard

Health

Student Health Services

LCPS

Servicios de Salud para Estudiantes

LCPS

Free Surface Disinfecting for Seniors and Disabled in Las Cruces area

Magic Maid Possible, LLC, 575-642-5206

CDC - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Advice and Guidelines

CDC

New Mexico Department of Health Advice and Guidance

NM Health

Financial Support and Business Resources

Support for Freelance Artists

List of Options

Economic Injury Disaster Loans for Small Businesses

Because of the current economic situation, small businesses can apply for an Economic Injury and Disaster Loan. Small businesses not eligible for credit elsewhere are looking at interest rates of 3.75% and non-profits at 2.75%. Apply online at: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/disaster-assistance

Unemployment Benefits

Apply online        

Information and Resources for Businesses

Recent presentation

            

           

Additional Resources

NewMexico.gov

NewMexico.gov

NewMexico.gov en español

NewMexico.gov

Helping the Needy in the Community

The Game and Dickersons Catering are committed to keeping their employees even with most events being cancelled. They are sending their employees out to help the needy instead. If you think you could use help or know someone who could, fill out an application below.

http://revolution120.org/grant-applications/

Travel – RoadRUNNER Transit and Dial-a-Ride

Free fares and rides. For more info call 541-2500

Thank you so much for being a part of Cruces Creatives. 

To keep the safety of our community a first-most priority, Cruces Creatives has decided to close, starting March 14th. We will be monitoring the situation and tentatively reopening March 31, 2020. 

If you need special access to the facility (for example, to retrieve project materials), please send an email to support@crucescreatives.org or post a message on Slack. We will accommodate such requests as needed.

Please heed the advice of national and local health authorities and be safe. 

Thank you again for being a part of our Cruces Creatives community. 

Very best,

Lea Wise-Surguy, Executive Director

The Cruces Creatives Board

The Admin Team

Welcome to the March 5 issue of the Cruces Creatives weekly newsletter. This is a place where you can keep up-to-date with big news at the makerspace, and learn about cool projects that your community members make.

News 

Cruces Creatives Hires 2nd Full-Time Employee!

Thanks to generous support from the McCune Charitable Foundation, the Thornburg Foundation, and New Mexico Workforce Connections, Cruces Creatives has hired its second full-time employee! Starting March 9, long-time volunteer grant writer Patrick DeSimio will have a full-time paid position writing grant proposals for the makerspace and coordinating the Seeding Regenerative Agriculture Project.

Full Class Schedule for Youth Makers Days Posted

Over spring break—from March 24 to March 27—there will be 25 creative workshops for kids and their adults at Cruces Creatives! For the full schedule or to register, visit http://www.crucescreatives.org/SpringBreak2020. Thanks to support from the New Mexico STEM Outreach Center, several workshops are free!

 Welcome to the February 28 issue of the Cruces Creatives weekly newsletter. This is a place where you can keep up-to-date with big news at the makerspace, and learn about cool projects that your community members make.

News 

Precious Plastics Recycling Machines Under Construction!

With funding from the MESA Project, Cruces Creatives is building two Precious Plastics machines—an injection molder and a compression molder! Precious Plastics machines are open-source technologies that function like small-scale recycling and manufacturing centers, making it possible to recycle plastics like water bottles, milk jugs, etc., into almost anything: chair seats, art, replacement parts, toys, you name it. They’ll be mighty helpful tools at the makerspace, and they also offer a hands-on education in recycling!

Prototype Cloud-Connected Soil Temperature Sensors Operational and Out for Field Testing

Cruces Creatives has completed a full working prototype for open-source, cloud-connected soil temperature sensors that can help farmers and gardeners know when to plant different crops! The prototype is currently undergoing field testing, and the results will help refine and improve the next iteration of the design. Thanks to the Thornburg Foundation and the McCune Charitable Foundation for funding, and congratulations to Jon Simmons and John Miller for all of the hard work behind the designs!

Welcome to the February 20 issue of the Cruces Creatives weekly newsletter. This is a place where you can see a calendar of upcoming events, keep up-to-date with big news at the makerspace, and learn about cool projects that your community members make.

The newsletter is published each Thursday. If you have makerspace news or announcements that you’d like to submit for the weekly newsletter, please email Pat DeSimio (p.desimio@crucescreatives.org) by 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday.

News 

Registration Opens for Youth Maker Days

Make spring break a time for making! From March 24 to 27, K-12 students and their families can participate in over 35 classes on subjects ranging from armor making to book making to hot air balloons. Several of the classes are free thanks to support from the NM STEM Outreach Center! Registration is now open, and for more information or to sign up, you can visit the Cruces Creatives Event Calendar at www.crucescreatives.org/events and look for classes whose titles start with “YMD” (Youth Maker Days).

Free Model Rocketry Classes Starting at Cruces Creatives!

Starting this month, the Fellowship of Las Cruces Area Rocketry Enthusiasts (FLARE) will be offering four free model rocketry classes each year at Cruces Creatives! The first class is on Saturday, February 29, from 2:00-4:00 p.m. For more information or to register, visit http://www.crucescreatives.org/event-3759605.

Call for Plastics for the STEAM Team and Youth Maker Days

Do you have clean bottle caps, transparent plastic (colored is especially good), or translucent plastic? Think water bottle caps, milk jug lids, peanut butter jar lids, 2-liter soda bottles, baby shampoo bottles, etc. All of these materials would be helpful for the STEAM Team and Youth Maker Days! Donations are welcomed at the Cruces Creatives kids’ classroom during open hours.

Welcome to the February 13 issue of the Cruces Creatives weekly newsletter. This is a place where you can keep up-to-date with big news at the makerspace, and learn about cool projects that your community members make.

News 

Free Learning Activities for Kids: Disassembly Days

Next Friday and Saturday, February 21 and 22, there will be free disassembly activities for K-12 students. Participants will take apart broken machinery and learn new ways to build and create. More information and registration links are available at http://www.crucescreatives.org/event-3740774 and http://www.crucescreatives.org/event-3740776.

Reminder: You Can Teach a Workshop at Cruces Creatives! 

Do you have a making-related skill that you’d be willing to share? We’re looking to expand class and workshop offerings this year, and all sorts of creative projects are welcome. To propose a class/workshop, complete the event proposal form at http://www.crucescreatives.org/Propose-a-Program, and a volunteer will be in touch.

Welcome to the February 8th issue of the Cruces Creatives Internal Newsletter. This is a place where you can see new things being planned, and a place to find facility updates and information about special activities.

In the Works (a peak into Admin)

As usual administrative work has been busy keeping up with all the amazing activities y'all have been leading while setting the path for new programs, activities, Job Shops, and partnerships. Here are a few plans in the works:

Administrative:

• Reimbursement Forms - The extra time focused this past week on reimbursement forms has helped fill the backlog. This upcoming week Lea will be doing a bit of the same to finish the previous month and to get ahead for the rest of the program year. 

• Been Out Sick - Lindsey has been out sick most of this past week, and we're excited that she is starting to feel better. 

• Data and Financial Manual - Lea has also been working on one other large project recently, a step-by-step with pictures manual for handling data and financial entry to Wild Apricot. A good portion has already been complete, but once the reimbursement forms are finished expect Lea to hunker down again to push through the rest of the manual. 

Programs in Progress:

• STEAM - Instructors Brittany Ontiveros and Sandy Smith finished their first semester last December and have officially launched their second semester! The students are launching into new projects and new learning objectives. Expect to see volunteer opportunities by the front desk when they need a little extra help preparing. 

Facility Updates and Special Activities

Cruces Creatives is constantly changing, growing, and becoming a better place because of the great work you're doing. Here are a few updates to know about:

Facility Updates:

• Photo Printer - Cruces Creatives received a generous donation of a Epson P7000 24" large-format photo printer from Mark Clune. Additionally, The Doña Photography Club, one of our monthly groups, purchased the needed ink and now the printer is almost ready to go! If you've had photos you've wanted to print, it's almost time! 

Weekly Gratitude Thanks for the incredible giving and work you do to make Cruces Creatives an amazing space for learning, making, and community. This week we'd like to thank Misha Bryan for her dedicated volunteering and community work. Misha has been a long-time volunteer with Cruces Creatives, and she opens every Tuesday and Thursday. Additionally, she is an active member of the Charitable Crafting group and has made many a beautiful item that has gone out to the community.  Seen at our front desk welcoming members and guests alike Wearing one of her custom designed dresses that she made Being an awesome Mom, and building shelves with her daughter for Cruces Creatives