I did it. I finally got my Etsy shop reopened though it was a more emotional process than I anticipated.
First lets get to the shop information before I share the saga of the reopening. “tierneycreates” is no more as far as Etsy shops, it is now called…(drum roll):
Textiles and Smiles (TextilesandSmiles on Etsy)!
Here is the explanation I provide on my Etsy shop page:
For years on my tierneycreates.com/blog I’ve promised to re-open my tierneycreates Etsy shop that I first opened in 2013. Finally the shop is re-opened and has a new name: Textiles and Smiles! As my tagline is “tierneycreates: a fusion of textiles & smiles”, I want to focus on providing customers with fun products that make them smile! To celebrate the shop re-opening, I am including a little fabric wallet with each order until I run out.
Here is what actually happened that led to the permanent closing of my “tierneycreates” Etsy shop and the creation of the new name/opening of a brand new shop:
In order to update the bank account information in a shop you have to provide the previous bank account information that you had listed. It has been over 2 1/2 years since I banked with my credit union in Central Oregon where I lived for 14 years before moving to the Denver Metro area. I contacted them and they did not have the bank account information (the full bank account number like what you would use to set up direct deposit, etc.) for the last 4 digits that Etsy had listed.
It was very upsetting as without this information Etsy could not allow you to set up a new bank account on an existing shop. There was no way around this except to close my shop and start a new one. In the moment, I pretty much had a total meltdown. It was one more thing I’ve lost from my life since December 2018 when my husband died. I had to lose all the wonderful reviews I had on the tierneycreates shop and the history of being an Etsy seller since 2013. This is not the end of the world but given all the “losses” (real or perceived) I’ve had since late 2018, it crushed me.
What are those losses I reference? Well the all losses are connected to my “identity” or how I’ve identified myself (such as a wife/longtime partner, a resident of Central Oregon which I loved so much, the co-owner of my house that I loved so much in Oregon, etc.) I’ve had to reinvent myself and start a new life in Denver (because I could not bear to stay in Central Oregon without Terry). I also recently left my job of 16 years to take some time off and I did not realize until I left my job how much I also found identity in my job.
Yes, it was like I became quite unhinged with this one more “loss of identity” even though in the whole scheme of life it was not a big thing.
I also struggled with the reopening the shop because the late Terry the Quilting Husband was my partner in the shop and did a lot of the assistant work (like cutting and preliminary sewing) for me. The “tierneycreates Etsy shop” was more like the “Tierney and Terry” shop.
But…
As I seem to have to keep doing over and over again (and I accept most of the time this is my reality), I finally realized (with the help of patient partner John) that I must REINVENT myself and that it is okay that I start over on Etsy with no reviews, no history, and opened a shop with a new name. I am trying not to see it as another loss.
It has been nearly three years since I suddenly lost my husband and although I have good life with my partner John, I continue to feel “lost” in life. It’s difficult to put into words but there are still too many days that involve putting on a brave face and getting through the day (and yes I’ve done grief support and individual counseling) and few notice. I guess this is just my reality and I work around it!
I think I sound like a “hot mess” and I could have just told you I’ve reopened my Etsy shop with a new name but I felt a need to “overshare” (smile).
Okay the oversharing is over now, and I will share a little about my NEW Etsy Shop.
- My new offerings include handmade drawstring/project bags and little pillows.
- I’ve brought back miniature kimonos and one table runner.
- My partner John has made sets of wooden spools from his woodshop for the shop.
- I’ve put together “Creativity Kits” to provide the materials and patterns you need to make a jelly roll quilt.
I share in future posts more information about my offerings and my process making them.
Here are some additional screenshots from the Textiles and Smiles Etsy Shop:
How can you support my new shop (without doing all your holiday shopping from it – ha!)? Well if you already have an Etsy account, I would appreciate if you made it one of your favorite shops by clicking on the “Favorite Shop” icon:
(Unless you totally hate it and do not want to be associated with my new shop in any way – ha!)
So you all are the first to officially know and I going to make some announcements now via other channels such as Instagram, etc.
More to come!
tierneycreates 