Linda's Story: L'esperance Tile Works

Today's story recounts the emotional family roots of Linda Ellett's business, L'esperance Tile Works, in Rock City Falls, New York. Linda's grandmother inspired her to pursue her creative passions, and shortly after her passing, Linda started making beautiful work in the loving memory and namesake of her beloved grandmother. Thank you for sharing your story with us, Linda!

"My grandmother, Collopy, was always a great inspiration to me. In fact, she's the inspiration behind the name of my business, 'L'esperance'. Elizabeth Hope was born in the first year of the 20th century, on June 29, 1900. She met Harry Collopy in 1927, married him, had 2 sets of twins, and became a widow at age 33. That was in 1933, in the midst of the Great Depression. My grandmother looked adversity right in the eye and met it head on. She took in furrier work to support her family, and later opened her own dress shop - The Hope Shoppe - using her maiden name. She was always the life of the party, and her humor and kindness was endearing to everyone. She told us that we were the strength of the future, and helped us to believe in ourselves. My grandmother passed away in June of 1979, and I felt her spirit soaring above me for many days.

The week after she passed away, I left home for a summer apprenticeship at The Moravian Pottery and Tile Works, where I had my first tile making experience. After one day at the historic site, I was hooked, and decided that tile making would be my profession and obsession. Upon completion of the apprenticeship, I headed home and began searching for a studio. To say that my parents were enthusiastically supportive is an understatement. My dad, who owns his own real estate business, had a customer who was selling her house and pottery studio. The place was equipped with kilns, glazes, a wheel, and all the extras to start me off. Mom gave me her inheritance of $1000 from my Grandmother Collopy, and we decided that the tile works should be named in her honor. Since the Hope family had moved, generations back, down from Canada, where their name was 'L'esperance' (yes, that's the connection...'L'esperance' translates to 'Hope') it seemed to be a fitting name for my new tile adventure.

Thirty-one years ago in 1979, I paid tribute to my grandmother by naming my business L'esperance Tile Works. Sometimes it takes a whole village to be clever!"

Linda's handmade tiles can be viewed and purchased at the L'esperance Tile Etsy shop, and you can read her blog at linda-ellett.blogspot.com. If you're curious about what the tile-making process looks like, be sure to also check out this Flickr set, which features Linda creating a fossil-themed tile series.

Health and happiness,

Abbey