My brother left to teach English in Spain a couple of years ago, and I wanted to make him something special and also durable that he could take with him when he leaves again (to Korea this time).

These are cheap canvasses with antique dictionary pages stuck on them. I was also very pleased to find out that wrapping tissue is both very pretty and almost transparent when you Mod Podge it on top.

I picked a quote from Terry Pratchett: “Why do you leave? So that you can come back. So that you can see the place you came from with new eyes and extra colors. And the people there see you differently, too. Coming back to where you started is not the same as never leaving.”

It’s printed on sticker pages and sealed on top of the images so that it’s water resistant and fairly sturdy (even if I did get a bit of a contact high from all that glue).

If you like this set, I’d be happy to make you one! I could do a small canvas for $10 each, and I’ve got the remnants of both a dictionary and a romance novel, whatever your preference. (For bibliophiles, fear not - I picked them up at Goodwill and they were in a state begging for death.)