Hello everyone...I am new to this site and well...new to cake decorating in general. I live in a town where you cannot find a bakery that works with fondant. I am working hard and practicing daily to get better and better with fondant. I have two questions...one cake related and one site related... 
What is the difference between gumpaste and fondant? I have not yet worked with gumpaste only fondant.
Second, can anyone help me with the ins and outs of this site?? I really love it and I would like to have a picture that goes with my name, and download my pics?? I am not sure where to go or where to begin!! Any help or direction to who could help would be greatly appreciated!!
Welcome to Cake Central. If you click on 'My Forum Info' over in the left margin, you can add your personalizations.
At the top of each forum, there are 'stickys' that include many of the frequently asked questions for each forum.
The search button works if you can define your search criteria, less is better.
Gumpaste is similar to fondant, but dries faster, and harder than fondant. It is usualy only for decorations and delicate flowers. There are techniques that use a 50/50 mix of gp and fondant, such as drapes and figures. the mix dries a bit faster and a bit harder than fondant alone.
To make an avatar, choose a photo and then I would suggest going to shrinkpictures.com and click on "create avatar." Set the avatar size to 110 and then it will resize your pic so it's small enough for you to upload onto CC.
Definitely read this sticky, it's the most important for understanding what we're all saying :
http://forum.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-2926.html
I haven't really had any luck with the search feature for the forums but I use it a lot for the galleries. If you do find a topic you like and want to save it, there is a link underneath the posts that says "Watch this topic for replies." If you click on that it will add the post to your Watched Topics and you will receive email notifications whenever someone posts something new.
To upload your pics to CC, you need to click My Photos at the top of the home page and then click "Upload Picture" -- choose a gallery, write a title/description, add some keywords and there ya go.
I can't really think of anything else off the top of my head.
Oh yeah, WELCOME to CC, your newest addiction. 
Welcome Crazy cake lady.
Also there is a listing of all the abbreviations you'll see here. It helps alot until you learn them all.
http://forum.cakecentral.com/c.....2926-.html
Hello. Welcome to the site. For the most part, people here are very friendly and helpful. But there is another side. People can be very critical and mean. Stolen photo threads have now been stopped so that will bring down the number of threads that get mean. It is not only those types of topics that can bring out a harsh side on this forum board. Here is an example:
http://www.cakecentral.com/cake-decorating-ftopict-600697.html
People may not like my telling you this but it is part of the ins and outs. There is good and bad. Like I said, it is mostly good but the bad can be real bad.
Welcome to cc!! 
Here you will learn so much. If you haven't browsed around the forums yet, you will find a lot of different things regarding cakes, cookies, and candies. There are stickies posted at the beginning of all forums to inform you of what can and can't be said in the forums as well as very important topics that have been covered numerous times. There is a range of inexperienced and very well experienced decorators and business owners. I honestly believe this is one of the best sites one can find. You will meet some very interesting people and have relationships that will be everlasting. We are all like family and we do disagree sometimes, but what family doesn't? There is a lounge for non-cake related topics in which you can discuss problems and issues at anytime. Even if it's to vent. We are here to listen and give advice and opinions and be truely honest with one another. Any and every question is welcome, someone will find the time to reply. Hope to see you around and welcome to the family.
hi and welcome crazycakelady! you are going to love this place overall. like anything else in life, their will be some negatives, but i can attest to mostly positives. the women on here are fantabulous!! they are willing to answer questions and help us newbies on here. they are very generous, but just keep in mind that we are all human and not perfect so you might come upon some threads somedays that might not be super positive, but with anything else you can choose not to get involved. i love it here!! someone always has the answer to your question. so best wishes and happy baking!!!!
Welcome to CC!
I think most of your questions were answered, but on the difference between gumpaste and fondant:
1) gumpaste dries hard/harder. Can be used for thinner leaves and petals (almost paper-thin). When dry, can be quite hard you would not want to eat it (and it does not taste as good as icing). Many times gumpaste flowers use wires or colorings which are not edible. It tends to make a more realistic looking flower than fondant, and is helpful when trying to make stand-up loops on bows.
2) gumpaste can be made by adding gum-tex powder to fondant (sort of getting you a consistency somewhere between fondant and gumpaste), or made up on it's own.
There are gumpaste and fondant recipes over in the recipe section of CC.
Just would like to welcome to the cc family. But beware it is addictive!
I also wanted to say Welcome to the family I am pretty new to this crazy cake world and I have to say this is by far the best website... I have learned lots in the 2wks I have been on so get to reading ... I have found that the Search tab has helped me tons I just type want I am looking for and walla their it is Good Luck
Welcome to the insanity!!
just a little note about uploading pics, please put in keywords so everyone can find your pics when they are looking for them!
Aslo, if you don't get comments on your pictures, it does not mean that noone likes your picture. All it means is that too many pics were uploaded at the same time, so not too many ppl saw it, or that the servers are too slow, so it's hard to post comments.
geesh, hope that earlier post doesn't scare you off! that's kind of like me opening my door for my guests and immediately, before they've even crossed the threshold, telling them my house smells like dirty underwear and dog pee....kinda like this....here, smell this!!!(shoving my husbands stinky old underwear in their face) ...alrighty then, come on in and enjoy!
????????
(i promise this is not what my house looks or smells like, nor does my husband have skid marks!!! )
ok, now that's out of my system!! WELCOME, DAWWWWWLING, WELCOME!!!
btw: gumpaste dries so hard it will shatter like porcelain when dropped. it can also be rolled out so thin, you can see through it. fondant never gets that hard, but is good for cookie cutter type flowers and such. if trying to make a real looking flower, then use gumpaste or a mixture of both, because of the ability to get so thin.
starla
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