Ok, I'm really new at this so please forgive all the questions.

What's the difference between fondant, gum paste and marzipan? Is one easier to work with than the other? How do I know when to use what?

I'm making an Elmo cake for my daughter's first birthday. I want to decorate the "present" part of the cake with yellow, blue, and red polka dots about 1/2 in diamater. I also want to make the big google eyes and oval nose for the Elmo jumping out of the cake. And, I want to use small cookie cutters to spell out the message on the cake. Which one would I use to do these things?

Thank you all so much!

I hope this web site will answer some of your questions:

http://www.gingerbread-house-heaven.com/edible-clay.html

Oops, the rest of the web address was cut off. I hope you'll get the entire address this time.

www.gingerbread-house-heaven.com

Go to the left side of the site listings, there's a section called Edible Clay, click on the section (differences).

Oh my goodness sandy1 I can't thank you enough! This website is terrific!

Rolled fondant is a cake covering. It's sometimes used for modelling, but it has an element of "softness" that makes for droopy figurines and flowers ..

Gum paste is a modelling medium that dries hard. Great for figurines and flowers.

Marzipan is a nut paste that is used as a cake covering or a cake undercoat or small figure modelling.