Any tricks for using fondant icing?

For sure - I used to use cornflour and/or icing sugar but now only ever use a cooking spray - there is never any evidence of oily marks and I would never go back now.I also use it on my hands when I'm working with the fondant if it is at all tacky.A quick spray then rub my hands together.I don't mean that you spray the bench till it's white - just a quick spray to lightly coat the surface.

Fondant does not go hard on its own - if you want it very hard, you need to add a hardening agent (sorry, can't think of name at mo).I usually make my bits and peices and store them in the hot water cupboard - they firm up but do not go hard (if you know what I mean).When doing a cake, I prefer to put fondant on the cake as well - if you don't, I feel that it looks only half done.The heaviness of the fondant decorations doesn't really go with the delicateness of the buttercream.Buttercream can be used as a base for the fondant - smooth it on then cool till firm before covering with the fondant (if you choose to go this way).Traditionally, all the little nooks and crannies on the cake were filled with tiny balls of fondant and then smoothed flat before covering with jam and putting on 2 coats of fondant.Thankfully, times have changed - we are happy to try different things these days.

Cool, thanks so much. Looks like I will be buying two lots of fondant then :-) I will try the hot water cupboard as I'm not too fussed if the decoration isn't super hard, but firm would be good. Fingers crossed it turn out!

thanks for that gardie - I will definitely try it next time I do a cake. I know what everyone means about the cornflour/icing sugar leaving marks. I'd be forever trying to brush the excess off! I'm very grateful for the heads up on this (must tell my mum who does cake decorating in Scotland - she taught me how to do a bit of cake decorating, bet she's never heard of this either!)
Thanks again :)