Have you wet the edges?
You can also put it in a very humid and warm place for a few hours (bathroom with doors closed after letting the hot shower run for a few minutes). Sometimes if forces the leaves to open, even if only a bit. Then you can insert the paper sheet.

thanks rbarata - that's the plan for tomorrow then :blushing:

OK, I stood the two orchids in the humid shower, no obvious change.
I then rubbed the pad of my thumb across the joined edge a few times and suddenly a tiny gap appeared. I managed to insert the corner of a thin piece of cardboard into the gap and it then easily moved side to side and opened the leaf.
Repeated on second Phal successfully.

Thanks for all the help everyone. :bowing

https://i.imgur.com/M48nuJJ.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/XnokG0U.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/NuRi4nD.jpg

It worked! Good job!:)

im glad you tried it first! thanks for the tips