I've worked a lot with gumpaste, but not so much with fondant. I'm going to be making several cakes in the next few weeks that are buttercream with fondant details (stripes, dots, etc).

In the past, I've found fondant a bit hard to work with - sticking to my work surface, losing its shape when i pick it up (stretching, etc). What is the trick? Should I cut the fondant details and let them dry for a bit before placing them on the cake? Will they crack if I do that? How do I lift them up without ruining their shape?

I am a fondant newbie and any tricks for success would be much appreciated

I usually let my fondant accents sit for 5-10 minutes before applying them.
Dots depending on the thickness you can pick up right away. Stripes are what I usuall y let sit a few to keep its shape.

If you want fondant to have more gumpaste like qualities, you can add CMC or Tylose to it... it helps it hold its shape and makes it less sticky. You can also let it dry a little to have it hold it's shape.

In regards to the sticking, you can roll it out on PS, cornstarch or 50/50. I roll mine out on a silicon mat and just keep one part thick and keep pulling it up occasionally. HTH

I use a mixture of half powder sugar and half corn starch inside a handy wipe tied with a rubber band into a ball to bowder my board. That always keeps the fondant from sticking to any surface. Try not to roll your fondant too thin and if it's too soft then let it dry a little bit but not too long so it doesn't crack. Also, use a pointy tip angled spatula when picking up the fondant pieces. I hope this helps!

I used to use powdered sugar and or corn starch but found that it dried my fondant out. To avoid sticking, I lightly rub shortening on my work surface. To avoid the stretching, letting it sit for a few minutes helps with that. Also, using something flat (like a spatula or pallet knife) to help lift it is helpful as well.