I'm new to cake decorating so please excuse me... I know this is maybe a silly question but what is the difference in gum paste and fondent???? I've only worked with fondent and was curious about gum paste and if it works better or not... Thanks

It depends on what you're using it for, sometimes it doesn't matter which you use. One of the big differences is that gumpaste can be rolled out thinner than fondant making it good for flower petals.

gum paste will dry fast and like said before you can roll it thinner... and it will become very hard overnight... some people call it cold porcelin (cant spell that word).
the fondant will also dry hard but not as fast. i use it to make flowers and it can take almost three days to dry... but its good sometimes bc it gives you more of a window to work with it... without drying out and craking on you.