Tags with Mexpy markers

I grab out some stamps and some cardstock and my son stamped some images.
He then grab the mexpy markers and colored them in.

He know has two cute little handmade tags to give to his mates at school.

He cant wait to make a few christmas ones for his mates.


Felicity XO

Colouring with Mexpy markers

 As most of you would have seen, the latest craze is adult colouring in.
Its so therapeutic, a good way to fill time in and there some really amazing pages out there too.

I grab out my mexpy markers and started colouring away. The mexpy markers seem to make it so bright and colourful and dont leave the 'lines' that other felt pens do.

I cant wait to finish this. I will pop it in my daughters bedroom.

Easy and fun way to add decor to your home.

Felicity XO

Using Mepxy Markers and coloured pencils to create depth in your pictures

Earlier this year I experimented using a few different layering methods to colour an image. I had invested heavily in colour pencils for my Christmas gifts and wanted to find ways to use them with the other media I had on hand to create vibrant images with great depth of colour.

Today I'm going to give you some tips on how to combine Mepxy markers with some colour pencils to create a wonderfully vibrant and beautiful image. 

Here's my snap guide below to take you through some steps in the creation of this project. Just a work here. The peacock tail has by far the most work in it and for this particular image that's what took the longest time to create.

Check out How to Use Mepxy Markers & Color Pencils to Create Art by Crafty Crusaders on Snapguide.

Have fun with this project I loved the result I got with the deep colour of the markers and the additional depth I added with the pencils.

How To Colour A Portrait With Mexpy Markers

Recommended Supplies

CANSON 220gsm Drawing Paper (I used A4 size)

Mexpy Brush Marker 24 Pastel Set

Mexpy Design Marker 24 Basic Set

Black Fine marker

White Geli Roll pen

2H Graphite Pencil and eraser if you are drawing your own sketch (other wise trace a picture in your preferred manner)

A light grey alcohol marker (preferably Mexpy) or even a coloured pencil would be OK

Gold Paint Pen

Step 1: First of all you will need a drawing. I like to draw mine free hand, but if you are not a confident drawer you can always use a tracing. I always use a light graphite such as a 2H as it doesn't smudge too much and erases well. I am using CANSON 220gsm drawing paper.

Step 1

Step 2: I started with a base layer of N51 (Cloud Cream). Note how I left some areas white. These are where I imagine hi-lights would fall on the face. Alternatively you can do these last with white acrylic paint. I used the chisel end of the pen to get quick coverage.

Step 2

Step 3: Determine where you imagine light and shadows would fall, and areas where features of the face come forward and recede. Colour in a first layer of shadow in N01(Wood Ash).

Step 3

Step 4: Don't worry if things look weird and patchy at this stage - they will do for a while. To help blend the two colours together do another layer of the Cloud Cream as shown below.

Step 4

Step 5: Next I want to add some cheek colour. I am starting with my light cheek colour, R00 Sun Kiss. I like to add a bit of the cheek colour to other areas of the face and neck also.

Step 5

Step 6: For darker/shaded areas I chose a darker cheek colour, R32 Peach. I almost always use the brush end of the pen, because I really love it.

Step 6

Step 7: I go over all cheek colour areas light and dark, with the R00 again to help blend them together.

Step 7

Step 8: Next I am going in with even darker shaded areas, using N05, Sand Storm.

Step 8

Step 9: I then go back in with my mid colour, N01 Wood Ash to help blend.  Then over the entire face (except the hi-light areas) I have used W31, Bridal Skin. See how this is really starting to bring all the colours together?

Step 9

Step 10: I am leaving the face for a while now as it will change slightly as the alcohol in the ink evaporates, and I want to see how it ends up. I'll move on the the upper lash line and the pupils. These are very often the darkest hues and whilst I could use a Black, I am experimenting with mixing my own blacks. So I have used P08 Blue Violet, and G29 Pine Green both from the Design Marker range (they have a harder finer tip instead of a brush tip) and layered them. Don't forget to leave a hi-light in the pupil for beautiful starry eyes.

Step 10

Step 11: Do the same as step 10, for the nostril. I LOVE violet eyes on my girls. The colours I have used for the irises are V15 Rosebud, P04 lavender and B12 River Blue. Try to get a variety of colour, light and dark in your eyes .

Step 11

Step 12: Our eyeballs are spherical not flat so some shading around the edge of the eye will help reflect that. I didn't have a soft grey in my Mexpys  so I borrowed one from another alcohol marker range but you could also used a coloured pencil. 

To do the leaves I have outlined them with G29 pine Green filled them with both G07 Vine Green and L09 Fresh Green.

Step 12

Step 13: I have started the hat detail with V15 Rosebud and P00 light Violet. I also added a bit more of this these colours into the iris. I like to repeat colours here and there to bring a picture together. 

Step 13

Step 14: Now for this step I would like to share with you a little trick. You can use the 00 Colourless Blender Marker to remove some colour. I have done this in the leaves, some areas of the hat AND on one side of the iris. Can you see how this little thing can really make a difference?

Step 14

Step 15: Next I am doing the hair. Lay your brush strokes in the direction of the hair, in this case curved  around the head, to help indicate the head shape.  Start with a darker colour first, I've used W29 Sienna.

Step 15

Step 16: The mid shade for the hair is W07 Light Mahogany, and the light shade is 006 cadmium Orange.

Step 16

Step 17: I have then blended over the entire hair with N18 Sepia. The same colours have been used in the eyebrows.

Step 17

Step 18: I decided she needed some lipstick, I've gone for V06 Iris Purple (and then added some of that into the hat area) and V15 for the lip shadow.

Step 18

Step 19: I really enjoy colouring my girls like they are wearing make-up. So I've gone for Greens as they really accentuate purples. I've used G29, G07 and G20 as eyeshadow colours. 

Step 19

Step 20: To help blend the eye shadow colours I went back over the entire area with W31 Bridal Skin.   I've also added Sun kiss R00 to colour the tear ducts and redefined some of the shadow areas using N05 Sand Storm.

Step 20

Step 21. I've blended over all the skin area again with N51 Cloud Cream. It's always good to have the one base skin colour to bring all the shades together. 

And I begin the bird. As this is really all about the face, I will just let you colours I used W37 Chocolate, W29 Sienna, 009 Red Ochre, 013 Sunset Gold and 120 Black. 

I've also deepened the eye colour with some of the shading colours, W29, N05 and N01.

I've gone over the entire neck area with No1 Wood ash to bring the colours closer together.

Step 21

Step 22: A little more shading on the top lip. P08 Blue Violet in the crease between the lips and another layer of V06 Iris purple to deepen the colour, especially where the lip would appear more shadowed.

I've added W37 Chocolate to define the outside of the face, nose and neck (on the left hand side).

Step 22

Step 23: Beautiful lashes! I've used 1the 20 Black design marker, plus a Black Fine Liner Pen to add lashes and define the last line,

Step 23

Step 24: Now for the final details.  I've used a gold pen to add trim around the hat and for the jewels, and black fine liner where required. For the jewels I used V15 Rosebud and M29 Crimson. 

I've also used bit of white gel pen to add hi-light to the jewels and an extra hi-light to the eye and top lip. 

For the clothes I just used the same colours as the hat.

Step 24

Step 25: I wasn't overly happy with the hat so I did a bit more detail with a black pen to give it a pleated fan-line effect.

I also used the colourless blender to remover some colour thus hi-lighting certain areas.  You will notice it in the lighter part of the hair, on top of the cheek bone, around the outer rim of the hat and in the middle of the jewels - Oh and to add some polka dots to the shirt.

Step 25

Step 26: To quickly finish the background I just used a couple of Distress Daubers.

Step 26

Step 27: I felt she was looking a bit pale in the cheek so I went back in with my original Cheek Colours, R00 and R32 and repeated the process. 

To finish the entire face and give one final blend W31 Bridal skin was layered again (except for the white hi-lights).

Step 27 Done!

Tomorrow I will show you how you can reuse your beautiful portrait to create a new Mixed-Media art piece or journal page.

Letter Journals with Peta, Pebeo paints and Mepxy Markers

Hello Peta here again today. I though today I would introduce you all to a project I created last year called the Letter Journal Project. It's a small art journal swap where the emphasis is on 'lightweight' and it fits into a standard business size envelope. Traditionally we use copier paper in these journals to keep the weight down. This then present it's own challenges. How do we work on thin paper and also keep our heavy collage and no lumpy bumpy out of the picture?

That being said, I have found the Letter Journal Project to be extremely rewarding this last year. I have a full journal, where each letter journal is a signature. Here's my Letter Journal book for 2014.

So today I'm working in a letter journal that had a few blank pages in it that I wanted to have some fun with. I'm using pebeo acrylic paints with glazing medium and some old book pages and mepxy markers for a little contrast. 

Have lots of fun with the video, I did making it!

A new way to use Mepxy Markers with Canson Tracing Paper

A new way to use Mepxy Markers with Canson Tracing Paper

Hello It's Peta here. Today I'm teaching you a new technique. How to use Mepxy Markers on Canson Tracing paper. These markers are alcohol based so do work well on the non porous surface of the tracing paper. This technique creates a design that is translucent and that can be used on any art and crafting project. Today I'm incorporating this technique onto an art journal page. Below is my guide for creating the butterfly wings I'm using on my art journal page and there is also a full youtube video tutorial on the whole process from beginning to end. 

Check out How to Use Mepxy Markers on Canson Tracing Paper by Crafty Crusaders on Snapguide.


For a full tutorial on the whole art journal page I completed using my tracing paper element, go to the youtube video on the crafty crusaders channel here:





I hope you have as much fun as I did creating this project.

Mexpy Markers with felicity

Hello, Felicity here again today.
I have been playing with the Mexpy markers and what can I say... endless possibilities with these.
Once again, I went to my art journal. I love my art journal, its a place I can just play and experiment with different mediums and get the idea of how they work.

I stamped with some archival ink lots of flowers on the Canson bleed proof paper.

I then choose out a few of the bright colours that I knew would complement each other.
(M09 - magenta / 120 - black / 00 - colourlss / R08 - vermilion / L07 - natural green)
I then coloured these little flowers in. Arent they cute!

I then cut them out and placed them on my art journal page.  They just made that page look so much brighter. I love them.

Cant wait to play with these markers more.

Products: Mexpy markers (M09 - magenta / 120 - black / 00 - colourlss / R08 - vermilion / L07 - natural green) / Bleed prood paper pad

Happy Weekend!
Felicity XO