How to get a straighter cut with your Paper Trimmer,

Good evening y'all!    As my day comes close to an end, I wanted to pop in here with a mini, and very frugal tutorial.    But, before I get to that, I want to share with y'all that I can get out of my garage now.    Yay!!    My sweet husband got all the pine tree limbs drug out to the road for the city to pick up.    He is one smart dude, if I do say so myself.    It would have taken us a whole morning dragging the pine branches out of the driveway, but.....he took his log chain and wrapped it around a bundle of limbs and let his pickup truck do the hard work.    Fifteen minutes and two trips to the road, with the limbs in tow, being pulled by the truck, and it was done.    In a snap, just like that, he knocked it out of the park!    Yay!!!!

The city workers sure have been busy this week picking up all the limbs from trees broken earlier this week with the ice storm.    So "three cheers" for all the extra work that our local city employees have been up to this winter, due to ice damage.    I do pray that Spring is in sight.    We do "Spring" our clocks forward before we go to bed Saturday night, so don't forget that, or you will be late for church.  

Anyway, back to the "Paper Trimmer".     I was working on some projects this week and I have been getting more than a little frustrated with my paper trimmer.  I have a really "honkin" big one, but I hate to drag that out for just for a small project.    I have a lighter Cricut paper trimmer that will handle 12x12 inch paper easily  and then I have a smaller one for 8 inch paper or smaller.    The one I was working with first was the Cricut one.  You will probably recognize it when you see it, it is a great trimmer and they are a popular brand.  

It has a clear plastic track that comes down over the paper once you get the paper in place as to where you want to cut it.     You let the track down and in the middle of the track is where the little blade sits and you slide it up or down to cut your paper.    It is very simple and efficient.    But....because the track is plastic, and kinda thin, and because I don't have as good a grip in my fingers as I used to, if I am not careful I won't get a perfect cut.   It can be off as much as 1/16th of an inch, top vs bottom.    Now, don't get me wrong, I love my Cricut Trimmer, really, I do, otherwise I would have gotten rid of it and moved on to something else.     So, this is what I do now:

So, above you see my trimmer, a sheet of paper, and a purple, three sided, steel ruler.    Gotta love PURPLE!!!!    hahaha

In the above I have my paper positioned to be cut.

Above, I placed the straight edge of the ruler right next to the left hand side of the blade track, being careful not to disturb my paper placement.

Above, I made half a cut and then stopped to take a pic.   I needed two more hands for this yesterday, so I had to stop, take pic and finish my cut.   But while cutting, just hold the ruler in place, steadily and make your cut.   It gives you something to brace up against while making your cut and it doesn't bow out, one way or the other.

Above, I think this is the first cut I have ever made that I didn't have to try to trim it up because I applied to much pressure, one way or the other, making my cut.    (I am really hoping this is making sense.)

This ruler I used has a wavy edge, a scalloped edge and the the straight edge on top.    I just lay it over on the side and pushed the straight edge up to the track.

I am really happy that I had this "light bulb" moment yesterday.     I had already started looking for one that would help me get better results.    Like I said earlier, it isn't as much an issue with the trimmer as it is with my hands, but at any rate, I am so happy now that I don't have to look for a replacement, I just get to enjoy what I already have.     I just don't know why I haven't thought of this earlier because the ruler is always on my desk, after all it's PURPLE!!! hahaha
Oh, and by the way, any ruler will work for this, it doesn't have to be a heavy, metal, three sided, (purple) ruler.    What ever you have on your desk will work.

Anyway, this is very elementary, I know, but I really feel like I am not the only one that may have issues with their hands, so others may benefit from this.    I hope so any way.

As I leave y'all this evening, I ask y'all this question.    Do you have worries, problems, or burdens that you feel is more than you can deal with?    If you do, give them all God, He can deal with them, He can carry them.

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon Him; for He cares for you.

Some of our problems are caused by situations that we are not in control of.    We have seen this winter that we are not in control of the weather.    Some of the problems we have are caused by us, ourselves, our own sins.    What ever the situation, God wants us to give all of those situations to Him.     Basically, giving every thing of every day to Him, not just a little here and a little there, but everything, "all your cares, for He cares for you".     I have found out personally and in a very real way that God does care about me.    Because I know He cares about me, I know He cares about you also.    What ever the situation, what ever the burden, give it to God, because He cares about you.    So much so that He provided us the way to be in a right relationship with Him, thru Jesus Christ!   

Good night y'all.    God loves you, so do I!    I pray for you to have a great night of peaceful rest and a wonderful weekend.

God bless y'all, hugs and much love, Patty