Clarity Matters Blog Tutorial: How To Make a Layered Mandala

Hello hello! Grace here.

I hope this finds you well, safe and enjoying your Sunday morning.

We are joined today by the spectacular Maggie Byford. She has generously put together a grid work tutorial for us. I’ll hand you over to our teacher!

How To Make a Layered Mandala

I love all of Tina’s Spiritual Mandala Groovi plates collection, and the one I’ve used for today’s tutorial is named “Meditation”, which can be described as a healing Mandala intended to deliver wisdom, evoke feelings of calm, and channel focus and concentration.

My lacy Mandala is made up of four separate layers, all held together with a sparkly Pergamano brad in the centre, and whilst I’ve mounted mine onto a card I think it would look lovely displayed in a frame. Or perhaps it could have a ribbon attached to the top of it so it can hang somewhere in the home, office or craft room. Let’s make our project!

Ingredients

Plate Mate for A5 Square Grids (GRO-CO-41706-08)
Tina’s Spiritual Meditation Mandala A5 Square Plate (GRO-PA-41527-03)
Groovi A4 Clear Parchment Paper (GRO-AC-40024-A4)
1-Needle Fine Perforating Tool (PER-TO-70035-XX)
1-Needle Bold Perforating Tool (PER-TO-70028-XX)
2-Needle Bold Perforating Tool (PER-TO-70279-XX)
1mm Extra Small Ball Stainless Steel Embossing Tool (PER-TO-70012-XX)
Pergamano Blending Pen with 3 Nibs (PER-AC-70300-XX)
Dorso Oil (PER-CO-70066-XX)
Spot On Sponge (ACC-MG-30537-XX)
Pergamano Excellent – Embossing Mat (PER-AC-70075-XX)
Groovi Embossing Tool 1 and 2 (0.8mm to 1.3mm) (GRO-AC-40026-XX)
Black Dual-Purpose Groovi Mat A4 (GRO-AC-40194-A4)
A4 Black Super Foam Mat (GRO-AC-41957-A4) (thick mat)
Groovi Sticker Tabs x 16 (GRO-AC-40437-XX)
Groovi Guard (GRO-AC-40345-XX)
Ringlock Scissors (PER-TO-70041-XX)
Red Rose Pergamano Brads (PER-AC-70276-XX) (optional)
Dry Tumble Dryer Sheet
Faber Castel Polychromos Pencils: 135 Light Purple and 101 White
Groovi Straight Super Fine A4 Piercing Grid (GRO-GG-40626-17) (optional)
(Alternatively you can use any Metal Fine Straight Grid or Fine Diagonal Grid
you may have. Failing this, refer to Step 6 on the Instructions for more information)

Method

Step 1. Layer 1 – Attach clear parchment to the Mandala plate with Groovi tabs or low tack tape. Wipe a dry tumble dryer sheet across the surface to make embossing easier. Use the Groovi number 1 tool to emboss only those shapes you can see on the picture, then put your parchment to one side for later.TOP TIP: Wiping a dry tumble dryer sheet across the surface of your parchment before you start embossing makes the embossing tool easier to glide within the grooves of the plate.

This is what you are aiming for…

Step 2. Layer 2 – Attach a separate piece of clear parchment to the plate and emboss only those shapes you can see on the picture – then put to one side also.

TOP TIP: When doing a lot of embossing, your body, shoulders, arms and hands can start to ache so it is advisable every so often to have a short break. When you resume, try to relax your wrists and fingers, as well as the grip on your embossing tool.

This is what it should look like…

Step 3. Layer 3 – Attach another separate piece of clear parchment to the plate and emboss only those shapes you can see on the picture. Put to one side with the others.

Step 4. Layer 4 – Attach a smaller piece of clear parchment over the flower image at the bottom left of the plate and emboss the whole thing, except for the smallest oval in the centre. Put to one side with the others.

This is what Layers 3 and 4 should look like…

Step 5. Use Polychromos pencil 135 Light Purple (or a colour of your own choice) to add colour to the back of Layers 1, 2, 3 and 4 where shown on the pictures.

TOP TIP: Apply the colour by using the side of the pencil lead and, starting from the top, sweep the colour from side to side without lifting the pencil if you can. Use a soft brush to brush away any pencil residue.

Step 6. Layer 1 – You will see from your parchment that on the circular border of petals every other petal is at the front, with the rest at the back, and as you’ll see on the picture we are going to begin embossing grid dots on all of the “front” petals first of all.
Referring to the picture continue as follows. With your parchment face down and your Fine Straight Grid in a diagonal position in front of you, align one of the “front” petals on your parchment onto the very corner of the grid. Secure with low tack tape, and emboss dots within the petal using the Pergamano 1 Extra Small ball tool. When you have finished that petal, leave the grid where it is and rotate your parchment slightly to the left or right so that you can align another “front” petal on the corner of the grid and emboss dots on that in the same way.

Continue embossing dots on the remaining “front” petals until all are done and Layer 1 looks like this from the front.
Note: I have used a Pergamano Metal Fine Straight Grid which some of you traditional parchers may have. If not, you can use a Groovi Straight Superfine Piercing Grid or a Groovi Diagonal Superfine Grid (both of which you need to use over a Lightwave), or alternatively you can use any Metal Fine Straight or Diagonal Grid you may have. Failing all of the above grids you can use the existing designs on the plate into your border of petals.

Step 7. Layer 1 – Still using your Fine Straight Grid in a diagonal position, place it onto a thick perforating mat. Working on the front of your parchment, align one of the “back” petals onto the very corner of the grid as you did in Step 6, secure with tape and perforate holes within the petal using a 1-Needle Fine tool.

When you have finished that petal, leave the grid where it is and rotate your parchment slightly to the left or right so that you can align another “back” petal onto the corner of the grid and perforate holes on that in the same way. Continue perforating holes on the remaining “back” petals until all are done and Layer 1 looks like this.

TOP TIP: When perforating with the 1-Needle Fine, hold the tool upright and perforate deeply. Using one of the apertures on the Groovi Guard helps to stop the parchment lifting and keeps it flat whilst you perforate. Also, be very careful not to perforate through any of the embossed outlines if you can help it.

Step 8. On the back of Layer 1, use Dorso oil and folded kitchen paper or tissue to carefully blend and smooth-out the pencil colour.

This is what it looks like when blended…

Do the same on Layer 2.

Do the same on Layers 2 and 3.
Note: On Layers 2 and 3 you may also need to use an oiled blending nib to spread the colour into the smaller areas.

TOP TIP: If you get any of the pencil colour where you don’t want it to be on the parchment then simply remove it carefully with a soft eraser.

Step 9. Place the front of Layer 1, face up, onto a thick perforating mat. Hold your 2-Needle Bold tool upright and perforate around the outside edges of all the petals.

TOP TIP: When using the 2-Needle Bold tool, you only need to perforate down to the thickest part of the needle. Try perforating the angles first, then join up the perforations afterwards as shown in the picture. Keep your parchment flat when perforating by working inside one of the apertures in the Groovi Guard.

Step 10. Repeat Step 9 to perforate around the outside edges of Layer 2.

Use the Pergamano 1 tool to emboss dots within the border design where shown.

It should look like this…

Step 11. On the back of Layer 3, use the Pergamano 1 tool to emboss some of the shapes within the design as shown, as well as inside the dots along the outside edges.

On the front use the 2-Needle Bold tool to perforate all around the outside edges including around the dots.

Step 12. On the back of the petals on Layer 4, add colour using Polychromos White 101, then blend with a little oil and a blending nib. On the front, use the 2-Needle Bold tool to perforate all around the outside edges of the petals.

Step 13. Use your parchment scissors or snips to cut between all of the 2-Needle Bold perforations on all of the four layers, as shown on Layer 2 in the picture.

Step 14. Finishing – Cut your choice of coloured card to size and fold in half (mine measured 5.5” x 5.5” square when folded).
Open up the card and place it face up onto a thick perforating mat.
On top of the front-right of the card, layer-up and centralise the four parchment layers starting with Layer 1 at the bottom and finishing with Layer 4 at the top.
Keeping all of the layers in place together, press a 1-Needle Bold tool through the middle of all the parchment layers and into the card at the bottom.
This is how the stacked layers should look with the needle tool in place in the centre.

Step 15. Secure everything together in the centre hole with a brad of your choice (I chose a sparkly one from the Red Rose Pergamano Brads). This is a close-up showing all the layers, and the brad in place. Pic 14a

Hint: As the brad goes all the way through the front of the card you may need to place a liner-insert inside the card to hide it.
The finished card…

BEAUTIFUL! How very effective.

Thank you ever so much, Maggie, for sharing this fabulous bloggy tutorial with us. Yet another impressive step-by-step project that we are sure will encourage and inspire those of you at home!

Everything that Maggie has used in this particular project is available in a shopping list, HERE.

Now, looking at a busy week ahead…

Monday 26th August:
***No SHAC*** (Bank Holiday in UK)
Tuesday 27th August:
Groovi Tuesday with Paul – 10am live on Facebook and YouTube
Thursday 29th August:
***No SHAC***
Clarity 31st Birthday Event on Create & Craft
30th August to 1st September

Friday 30th August:
6pm & 9pm – Clarity Brand New Launch Birthday Event with Barbara & Paul
Saturday 31st August:
7am – Clarity Birthday Event with Barbara & Paul
10am – Clarity Brand New Launch Birthday Event with Barbara & Paul
11am – Clarity Birthday Event with Barbara & Paul
1pm – Clarity Birthday Event with Barbara & Paul
2pm – Clarity Brand New Launch Birthday Event with Barbara & Paul
4pm – Clarity Birthday Event with Barbara & Paul
Sunday 1st September:
3pm-5pm (2 hours) – Clarity Classics Birthday Event with Barbara

See you there!

Travel gently, friends.
Lotsa love, Grace & Maggie xoxo

Clarity – The Home of Art, Craft, and Well-Being.