I recently posted a card on my personal blog which I got a lot of questions about the technique I used to achieve that card. So I thougth I'd pop the instructions on here for FAKE BRAYERING and simple masking.
I started with a cuttlebug cut out of a city skyscape in black. I also have a small bat cut using the cuttlebug. I've cut a piece of very vanilla cardstock from Stampin Up to the same width as the skyscape and slightly taller. This cardstock will be the background we will be inking and masking.
To create the moon, I cut a small 1.5" circle using my Fiskars shape cutter templates. You will need to keep both the circle and the surrounding cardstock for this project. Place some double sided tape (nonpermanent) to the back of the circle and place it on your background card - double check its where your moon needs to be. 
Taking a sponge (a seasponge or soft makeup sponge are ideal), apply dabs of ink to the background starting at the top edge and working your way down to halfway, then continue again with the second colour working from the bottom edge to the middle. Be sure to blend the two colours slightly at the midsection. This process will take lots of dabbing and lots of reinking your sponge. The ink will come out at its darkest colour. I've used Buckaroom blue from Stampin Up for the sky, and Wild Wasabi by Stamping Up for the horizon.
Take your 'circle' moon mask off and then place the outside template so that the moon is only showing through. Ink up your moon, again working from one side and dabbing ink inwards. One side of the moon will be darker than the other.
Apply your cuttlebug pieces over your background and there you have it - a fake brayered and masked background sky. Effective isn't it?
My original card (here) was stamped with the owl and branch, which was then masked separately by stamping onto paper and cutting the images out and sticking over the top of the card. I then followed the same technique as above, creating a mask for the moon, inking the top and bottom of the paper and then using the outside mask to do the moon. I did add more ink around the moon to give a misty feel. I used watercolour paper for that card too - just because it was on my desk at the time.
I want to see your attempts too please! I have some cuttlebug bats and skyscapes here in a little pack ready to send off with some sweet goodies for one lucky person. Leave a comment on this post and I'll draw a winner this time next week. Don't forget to tell your friends about our free classroom blog too - full of great little projects :)
