HISTORY
A little more about HEMLEVA
Launched in the Autumn of 2013, HEMLEVA is focused around bringing greenery into the home and into our daily lives. HEMLEVA is currently based out of Seattle, Washington, and is entirely run by Samantha Leung.
Originally launching under the name Handmade Sam*Made, the company and brand launched with a mix of both traditional and original handmade brass mobiles, wall sconces, ornaments and more. Samantha shares her passion for plants through her Air Plant Dating Profiles, General Plant Care, and through her original Plant-inspired Enamel Pins, Keychains and accessories.
As both the geometric and botanical pin collections grew, the number of stockists grew as well. You can now find Samantha's handmade brass mobiles and plant-inspired enamel pins and keychains in over 400 retail stores around the world.
To this day, each and every mobile and wall sconce is handmade by Samantha. Every plant is hand inspected and cared for, and each pin and keychain is designed and packaged by Samantha herself out of her Seattle studio.
A little more about Samantha
Samantha (She/Her) has always been an artist and a maker. She learned how to crochet at the age of four, learned how to wood burn at six, was screen printing at eleven, oil painting at twelve, developing her own film at fourteen, and was hand pouring candles at fifteen. When she was sixteen, she along with two other friends started a bespoke handmade costume business. Alongside this exploration of different mediums, Samantha was working consistently part time starting at the age of fourteen.
Samantha graduated from Drake University with a BA in Law, Politics, & Society - an interdisciplinary study of the effect of Law, Politics and Society and how each discipline drives change in the other. She also graduated with minors in Sociology, Psychology, Art and Politics. All the while serving as the Art Director for the campus satirical magazine, DUIN, She simultaneously served as committee chairs for over 15 different organizations while attending Drake University, as well as successfully lobbying with a Non-Profit for the well-being of Iowa citizens.
Following graduation, Samantha took a year to teach English and American culture in Northern China. Upon returning, she decided against pursuing law school. She married her college sweetheart, adopted a kitty named Winston, moved cross country from Chicago to Seattle, decided to start a business and then adopted another kitten named Ferguson. Ferguson has since passed and a rambunctious little kitty named Tater Tot was adopted and has joined our sweet family.