Ok... this is my first forum post ever.... im kinda new to the whole computer thing and im suprised i made it this far!
I have only been decorating cakes for nine months and I have never tried using buttercream or fondant icing. My mother in law has been decorating cakes for family and friends for more than forty years and she has been teaching me what she has learned throughout her cake decorating adventures. The icing recipe that she uses is mainly crisco, powdered sugar, and cake flour with some water and a touch of vanilla and almond extract. This is all I have ever used to decorate with and I am afraid to try anything different. I have no clue what buttercream is and the fondant that I have seen actually makes me nervous... I am willing to try something new but I guess my question would be- what should I try first??
Buttercream is not going to be that different from the icing you are using now. There are several types. American/traditional buttercream will probably be most simlar to what you are used to. Meringue buttercreams are more time consuming to make, but not hard to make. They will not form a crust like most american buttercreams will, so they take a little more experience and patience to smooth. (the crusting buttercreams can be smoothed with paper to form a faux fondant look). Fondant takes some getting used to but its lots of fun. Go with what intrigues you most and enjoy. Don't be afraid. Be adventuresome! The only way to get better is to take some risks and try new things. We learn from our failures. Good luck and have fun!
You'll want to make a simple buttercream icing. For pure white use Crisco, or Crisco and butter, a bit less white or straight butter. The recipes are very easy and taste good.
Fondant, I use MMF (marshmellow fondant), it's easy to make, rolls out easily and keeps wonderfully. Look in the recipe forum on CC, and make a batch. MMF is wonderful for all sorts of things. "Nothing to it, but to do it". There are many recipes for fondant and you'll have to experiment to find one that makes you happy. Make a small cake, and go for it! 
I was scared to try these as well when I first started, but then once you do it is so much fun to try other recipes and play with them a little. I tried buttercream first since you have to make it anyway when your covering a cake with fondant. Good Luck!
Make Michelle Foster's fondant, it's so easy and the results are more predictable than MMF. And I like it better. : ) It's not that much more to do.
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