Cristi
Bevels are what gives cockers that wonderful soft look and are VERY hard to get right. Every dog has a different shape foot and type coat and as a result doing bevels can be harder than anything else on the dog. Also it is critical when showing that the bevels be done correctly as they are what shows movement The front feet and back feet are done quite differently..
To show this better I have set up a picture gallery to help you figure out feet. There are TWO galleries, one for front feet and one for back because it is a different bevel on each foot.
NEVER expose nails on an American cocker. BUT make sure the nails are as short as you can get them so as to not interfere with the lay of the hair.
There are two schools of thinking as far as pads go. SOME people shave them out, SOME people scissor them flush. Either way is correct but if the dog's foot is smaller I would leave the hair and scissor it. The hair in the pads tend to help PUSH the foot out making it appear larger than it really is.