Thats a good one Karla! Buy me a beer and I'll teach you how to ice skate and play the banjo too. This fresco stuff has to be learned by doing - no real secret tricks. I am not much longer along the learning curve than you. I suggest you(we) save your(our) workshop money until you reach the point where you have some real tough questions.

Try this. It will change your life AND teach you fresco.
Find some classical drawings, "monotone" studies, of the masters. An angel or cherub is a good easy subject - the idea is that you will be spending about one hour to paint, so nothing too complicated. Make a tracing about 20" x 16" (use a projector, grid, photocopier or scanner) and transfer it to some sort of paper than can be used over and over again (brown "butcher" paper with wax one side?). Get a coarse "pounce" wheel a graphic/sign supplier. Mark out the lines with wheel which makes small holes in the paper. Get a cloth bag of dark powder and dust over the fresh, but not sticky, last layer of "intonaco".
Paint the tracing with red oxide, or red ochre. For antiquing, wash on raw sienna with touches of raw umber. highlight the lines with raw umber. You are making a "sinopia" or underpainting. Only spend an hour, when it is cured fairly hard, try scratching in some faults, to show the under layer, add some more antiquing. If you are not happy with the result - scrape the whole damn thing off, start again tommorrow. It may take many tries until you get it the way you want- this is partly the reason for only spending one hour or so. When you are happy with it, make six more panels the same size, use the same drawing ("cartoon"), and the same technique, it should take you one long "artist's" day to finish. Now comes the important and hardest part. After they have cured up, take those six frescos out into the world and sell them - the retail price will be from $100 to $300. Try coffee shops, garden centers, craft shows, retailers, florists, on consignment if necessary (if the store is not paying you outright, and then doubling the price, the normal "commission" they get is 30%). There are some a little details I can fill you in on but the point is that this will get you started. Total startup cost - under $100 - so no opportunity for procrastination there. Lack of time - the other procrastinator- this advice will work whether you are learning to paint with your left foot or you are already a master fine artist, the only difference will be the time it takes from start to finish. You should be able to paint this cherub in your sleep by now, you can set up an easel in the park and sell three a day! This exercise will give you the gift of confidence, an artist's most powerful friend. It will lead to great things and many wonderful works of art.

Of course there are many details, but nothing which can't be handled over the internet or fax machine.

The only other point I should add