I’m Jill , the creator behind the shrines at Violets & Moss.

I have been using my love for papercrafts for years hosting beautiful tea parties for the young ladies, making decorations for social functions, and even bringing fun crafts into the classroom at our Friday co-op. God has blessed me with a gift, and I love that I can return it back by creating beauty for our church.

The idea of the shrines came to me when I was asked to make centerpieces for a Feast of St. Joseph party, a couple of years ago. God opened a new door for me to use my creativity to share the beauty of our faith with even more people. Each shrine takes many hours to make and requires a lot of patience and a steady hand. While some may find it tedious, I find it peaceful and such a wonderful way to spend time with Our Lord and all the Saints.

So what's with the name? Besides the fact that I absolutely love violets, I came up with my name from the writings of one of my favorite saints, St. Therese. "He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be." I am happy to be one of his violets.