Ok so I figure it is time to try buttercream (have being doing mostly fondant). From what I read on this site it seems that in order to get it smooth (which is what I would like to achieve) you need a crusting buttercream?? So here are my q's
a)How do I tell which recipes will crust?
b)It is very difficult to get shortening here so will recipes without shortening still allow me to get a smooth finish?
c)For those cakes that are buttercream with fondant cut outs do you have to be supercareful putting those on ie. does the buttercream dent/mess up easily once it has been smoothed?
d)what is coffee creamer -is it like powdered milk (saw a recipe on here that had it in it)
many thanks 
I can't help you with most of your questions, but I diduse coffee creamer for icing today. It is a powder usually sold in the coffee section and sometimes comes in flavors.
Mostly I just wanted to say nice avatar!!
I think the addition of meringue powder is what make it crust - right? Or do I have it backwards....
The recipies that crust will have shortening in them so I think the Viva method is out of the question for you. You can still get a smooth finish using all butter buttercream recipes, just have to practice at it... keeping the spatula strait when iciing the top of the cake, and using a bench scraper for the sides, etc. As for the cakes with the cut outs, using the all butter recipe, it will be very delicate and will smudge at the slightest touch, so be sure that you make no mistakes when placing them on the cake unless you don't mind smoothing the thing over again 
. Coffee creamer is nondairy cream in the liquid form.
Many thanks for the help
I will give a go and see how it turns out.
Mommallama I noticed we had the same avatar this morning when I was online (both must have good taste 
) but I decided I wanted to have a unique avatar so got my DH to resize a pic of my waterlily cake when he came home I just came back online and saw your post
Oh good, for a minute there I thought I had offended you. LOL I really think those birds a hillarious. Have you seen them in the short movie before Monsters Inc.? I laugh evert time I think of those naked birds.
BTW I really like the cake that your avatar is attached to. I really would like to take a class in gum paste. Did you take a class, or self teach? I'm not sure I could learn how to do that out of a book.
One more thing, there is a great thread by sugarshack on buttercream. Search under "buttercream tips" in the forums. In her recipe she does use hi-rato shortening. A lot of people have to order that online.
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