Buying some sets of dies demands a significant investment. When buying expensive die sets I like to play around to make sure I can get the most from them. I have a couple of panorama die sets and have found, by trial and error, that I can change the size to make larger cards. These are 2 examples of just that. The die set as it comes (the Tattered Lace Large Panorama set), makes an A5 card. I have managed to make 8″ x 8″ cards by cutting the inner panels in 2 stages. Stage 1 cutting the left side with tabs but stopping before the tabs on the right side. Then carefully measuring and re-placing the die to cut the right side. All pieces needed to be shortened in height, but it’s important to measure and trim exactly the same amount from the top and bottom of each piece accurately to ensure the tabs and slots line up properly. I used shop bought 8 x 8 card blanks to mount the panorama on so the cards would stand well and be more stable than just having a flat back. I used 300gsm card for all sections of the base cards and I reinforced the top and bottom edges of the front and inner panels with strips of card to stiffen them. These two cards were commissions and the design elements were appropriate for the recipients. The Man’s 50th birthday card was also made to look like the recipient, with specific details of clothing etc made to match his own. The Lady’s 30th card included the recipients favourite things using all sorts of dies and stamps from my stash chopped, snipped and coloured to replicate them. These cards are labours of love which took hours of experimenting, planning and preparation and are not suitable projects for beginners but were well worth the effort. For details of dies ect used, just click on the pictures.