Are paint pens my only option?

So I went to Joanns today and I searched everywhere for buckram. The only stuff I could find that was close and seemed to work just fine was this white plastic canvas. Its made by Darice and its 14 mesh. heres a pic of the stuffIve tried spraypainting it(with and without sanding), painting it with acrylic paint(also with and without sanding) this stuff doesnt hold anything cuz its super smooth, everything just rubs off. Will this stuff hold paint pens with some sanding and then a good gloss coating? I really would hate to just trash this stuff. You guys have any experience with this type of mesh? Thanks for any help