Craft store opens in Umatilla

Published 2:00 pm Tuesday, June 29, 2021

Tesia Hunsucker, owner of Tesses Creative Messes in Umatilla, stands with her son, Aurelias Garcia, 1, in her shop on Wednesday, June 23, 2021.

Tesia Hunsucker is hoping more people will shop locally for art supplies now that she has opened a craft store in Umatilla.

The Irrigon woman opened Tesses Creative Messes at 1300 Sixth St., Suite D, in Umatilla on June 8 after she got frustrated at the lack of options for buying paint, canvases and other supplies.

If Walmart doesn’t have what she needs in stock, she said, she usually has to go to the Tri-Cities to pick it up.

So Hunsucker decided to open her own store with craft and art supplies. Her selection is pretty small so far, but she hopes to expand it, and to get customers to put items on her “customer wish list” to give her a better idea of what’s in demand.

“I’m trying to up my inventory, but it’s kind of difficult if people aren’t telling me what they want,” she said.

The store sells canvas, paint, yarn, fabric scraps and other supplies, in addition to paintings by Hunsucker. In the back of the store, behind the counter, is a space with tables that Hunsucker said people can pay $6 an hour to reserve for activities related to painting, sewing, scrapbooking or other crafts.

She said she hopes to host some craft nights there herself, and is looking for people who are interested in getting paid to host classes in the space.

She had her son, Aurelias Garcia, who turns 2 next month, in the store with her, and said Tesses Creative Messes is a “kid friendly” place where families are welcome.

For more information, visit the store’s website at tessescreativemesses.com.

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