Samantha Leung

The peonies are blooming, the ground is thawing, and my plants are all starting to wake up. I'm welcoming spring with a few lovely markets, long days in the garden, and intentional time with friends. It already sounds like the sweetest season. Will I see you this Spring? Please let me know if I will 🌸🌷🪻🌼✨

When I started planning and organizing this photo shoot, one thing that was really important to me was representation. For for my brand, for social media, for helping to build the diverse community that I want to see. These photos would be beautiful enough to be an editorials. And as someone who grew up not seeing her face or features in magazines, it was at the top of the list of importance for me. When trying to dream up, brainstorm, and ideate the plan and who the models would be for this photo shoot, the first person I thought of was Chloe. Chloe is really kind, smart, funny, talented in addition to being beautiful. I hope that someone out there sees these photos, sees her, my work, my company, and feels inspired and seen. You can see all of my work this Saturday near this Historic Chinatown Gate in our International District in Seattle. Find my booth on the East Side across the street from @fujibakery on King Street, on the Hing Hay Park side. March 7th • 11-5 PM Free • All ages Check out @cidseattle for more event details, craft and food vendor lists, and the line up soon! #cidseattle #seattlecid #seattleevents #cidlunarnewyearcelebration #yearofthehorse

12 years ago, almost to the day, in November of 2013, I started this business with only $100. How I got to be where I am today is a complicated and hard story. But through it all, there are so many things that I'm grateful for. I am grateful for Andy, my husband, who keeps me company at my shows. He always encourages me, makes sure that I eat, and drink water and gives me hugs and hands me cats when I'm overwhelmed. I am grateful for the friends that I have made along the way, customers that turn into friends, fellow artists and makers that I genuinely look forward to seeing and have gotten to know better and befriend. (This photo was taken by the incredible @meganhooksphotography who was a customer of mine before this shoot! Please hire her if you're looking for professional photos.) I am grateful for the retail partners that enjoy what I make and want to share it with their customers. And above all else, I am grateful for all of you. After all, I wouldn't be here without you. You read my newsletters, you like and engage with my social media posts, you care about me and my family, you purchase things from me and tell other people about my small business! You travel to see me at in person events, like tomorrow with @sjmade - you wear my pins, carry my keychains, adopt my chickens, and you send me photos! At a time when community is a need, a necessity, not just a want - I am grateful for you all. I am grateful for this community. I am unbelievably grateful that I get to wake up each day and to do what I do each and every day. 💗

A look at my booth during the calmest part of the day, about 30 minutes after the show was done, lol. You can see Andy making a little garbage run and me and my neck fan. It was 84° and the humidity was ✨high✨. TY to everyone that stopped by even though it was a warm one. The hugs, the chats, the friends and the sheer number of you that told me that you stopped by @renegadecraft hoping to see me again made my heart soar. To every single one of you that shared stories about my products and what they mean to you and to those that you've purchased them for... Shows like these are hard, the days are long, but they always fill me to the brim with an overwhelming amount of joy and gratitude. We're back for one more day here in Chicago. 11-6 PM • Sunday, May 17th Find me in Booth 2, right in front of the fountain on N Clark by the garden center

Sweet Olivia, covered in rainbows! We're here to tell you that on my website, my card insert sized suncatchers are: buy any 5 for $22 (normally $25). And my medium sized suncatchers are: buy any 3 for $27 (normally $30) So now you can mix in match online, the way you can at my in person events too. I also have a pre-made set of card insert sized suncatchers for an easy add to cart. Swipe to see the set! This itty bitty girl, Olivia, is such a little sweetheart, and her Mom, Yasmin from half of @finpinshop is the reason why. I believe that kindness fosters kindness, and Yasmin is such a lovely human inside and out. Olivia is sitting in the rays of my Kitty Cat Winston Suncatcher, and is the most adorable models - meowdel? Thank you so much to Yasmin for sharing this moment with me. 💗 If you're in Chicago this weekend, stop by my booth with @renegadecraft to see my rainbow-makers in person! I'll be right in front of @gethsemanegardencenter on the end in Andersonville May 16+17 11-6 PM each day And if you're in Seattle this weekend, stop by my friend @finpinshop 's booth at the huge U District Street Fair! #rainbow🌈 #rainbows #CatsCatsCats #CatsOfInstagram #catsofinsta

CHICAGO • I'm packing up my bags and I'm headed your way for the weekend! I'll be popping up with @renegadecraft this Saturday and Sunday, 5/16+17 from 11-6 PM each day. I was born and raised in the suburbs of Chicago, so swipe to see a few of my favorite Chicago-related things that I've made that I'll be bringing. >> Please swipe to the 6th slide for my FAVORITE hot dog to date! 🌭 My booth is right on the end by @gethsemanegardencenter and the weather on Saturday is looking absolutely perfect. Stop by to say hi, to shop 250+ small businesses this weekend. Send this to your favorite market buddy! 🌸🌷🍃

Thank you so much to every single person that stopped by our Mother's Day Mini Market in Seattle yesterday! 🌸🌷🍃 The weather was perfect, the feeling of community was like a warm hug & the turnout was really so lovely. Swipe left to see some of the things I brought home yesterday. One of my very favorite parts of markets is shopping them myself. It was a sweet reminder of how important it is to shop small & to make the plans & to do the things. And I want to take the time to say that Katrina from @studiotoujours is the best partner you can have when planning something like this. She's also one of the nicest humans & the sweetest friends. Katrina is thoughtful & caring & seriously hilarious too. To know her is to love her. Thank you so much to Pamela from @theflourboxseattle for sharing her space with us, to @intentionalist_ for stopping with for lunch from @mendozas_mercado (it was so good!), for every single vendor that said "yes!" when we reached out, to my Andy for his help & support, to the customers that drove from far away, that waited in line & spent such a beautiful Saturday with us. To all of the pet, plant and people Mom's, Happy Mother's Day. 💗 The full list of vendors: + All Dog Kind • Darling accessories for you & your pups @alldogkind + Beau's Lil Barkery • Freshly baked treats for your pets @beauslilbarkery + Bumi Plants • Curated selection of houseplants @bumiplants + Euni & Co. • Design, lettering, + things that bring joy @euniandco + Fin Pin Shop • Ocean-inspired pins, stationery, and accessories @finpinshop + HEMLEVA • Nature-inspired products for you & your home @hemleva + J Kar Ceramics • Small batch ceramics @jkar.ceramics + Jovieta Jane • Illustrator and tattoo consultant + Rain Ceramics • Whimsical handmade ceramics @rain_ceramics + Studio Toujours • Modern, bold, intentionally designed jewelry @studiotoujours Flower Bar: + Marigold & Mint @marigoldandmintbotanicals Live Custom Portraits: + Bootskats @bootskats Our host and makers of the best donuts in Seattle: + The Flour Box @theflourboxseattle

NEW • seattle fish pin • This beautiful pin, with a delicate fish on a platter, features my own handwriting that spells out "seattle" in place of the fish bones. With both a nod to the city that I call home along with our collective love of tinned fish and seafood. I designed this as a thank you to the city that I love. When you grow up, you learn how powerful and wonderful it is to be able to choose. To choose the people we surround ourselves with, the places we occupy, the things we do, the place we call home and the beings we call our families. I might have grown up in the Midwest, but Seattle is my home. 💗 Limited quantities available, and only at hemleva.com and in person tomorrow at the Mother's Day Mini Market at The Flour Box here in Seattle! EVENT DETAILS • May 9 • 9:30 am - 12:30 pm Mini Mother's Day Market celebrating Pet, Plant and Person Moms. Our amazing artists, makers & illustrators! + All Dog Kind • Darling accessories for you & your pups @alldogkind + Beau's Lil Barkery • Freshly baked treats for your pets @beauslilbarkery + Bumi Plants • Curated selection of houseplants @bumiplants + Euni & Co. • Design, lettering, + things that bring joy @euniandco + Fin Pin Shop • Ocean-inspired pins, stationery, and accessories @finpinshop + HEMLEVA • Nature-inspired products for you & your home @hemleva + J Kar Ceramics • Small batch ceramics @jkar.ceramics + Jovieta Jane • Illustrator and tattoo consultations @jovietajanecreative.studio + Rain Ceramics • Whimsical handmade ceramics @rain_ceramics + Studio Toujours • Modern, bold, intentionally designed jewelry @studiotoujours Flower Bar: + Marigold & Mint @marigoldandmintbotanicals Live Custom Portraits: + Bootskats @bootskats Our host and makers of the best donuts in Seattle: + The Flour Box @theflourboxseattle Swipe left to see the menu for this weekend! Tag your favorite Plant / Pet / People Mom, share this with your friends and your favorite Market Buddy. We hope you can join us. 🍃

Seattle • I only have 2 more Seattle hats left in stock! I love this 100% cotton hat, with it's sweet bubble cloud letters. I'll be bringing it with me (if there are any left) this Saturday to the pop up at The Flour Box. These hats are so comfortable to wear (even on my larger Asian head, seriously). I wore mine as I hiked Diamondhead on Oahu. It kept the rain, sun and sweat out of my eyes, and never felt like it was pinching/crushing my skull like most hats. It's a dream. ✨ SHOP • online at hemleva.com or in person this Saturday in Seattle! Pop Up Details • Mother's Day Mini Market 📍 @theflourboxseattle 9:30 am - 12:30 pm 12 + artists, including: ceramicists, illustrators, tattoo artists, houseplant shops, jewelers, florists & more!

This is Jello! The handsomest little boy is currently being fostered by @hailey_lp / @guardians_of_the_dices and will be ready for adoption through @seattleareafelinerescue in Shoreline! He's covered in rainbows from one of my suncatchers that you can find at hemleva.com I woke up to an inbox full of reminders that it's GiveBIG today, a reminder of the wonderful organizations that I've been able to donate to through your purchases and support over the years. It's a statewide fundraising campaign to help us invest in our communities. @wagives We adopted our Penelope from @meowcatrescue which I can't recommend enough. A few more wonderful Washington-based organizations that I love include @projectfeast @tilthalliance @seattleaquarium @beaconfoodforest @earthcorps and @kingcountypets @marysplacewa If you are able to donate monetarily, please check to see if your employer does any type of donation matching. It's a perk that's often times forgotten about, and can double your donation in minutes. If you do not have access to donation matching, please ask friends, family and people in your community if they do. We are stronger together. 💗✨ #GiveBIG #AdoptDontShop #CommunityFirst #SpendLikeItMatters #CatsOfInstagram

Happy Teacher Appreciation Week! And tomorrow, May 5th is National Teacher Day. To all of the teachers, the educators, the care takers, the safe spaces - you are appreciated more than you could know. Teachers and administrative staff from my childhood, teen and college years have imprinted onto my very being. I remember quotes from my highschool math teacher and my favorite college professor. I was taking to Andy just a few days ago about a mandatory class we had to take in highschool. It was a life skills class about budgeting for a family, balancing a checkbook and more. And how I wish everyone could take it. (This was a public highschool in Illinois, Go Hawks!) But the thing that stays with me is the overwhelming feeling of being seen and heard. Encouraged and taken seriously. It is a reminder that it is not an easy job, it takes a special type of person to want to teach. Someone that is not only passionate about what they do, but someone that is both empathetic and sympathetic too. If you are a teacher, an educator, a coach, I see you and I appreciate you. From classrooms full of children, to auditoriums full of college students, from one on one tutoring to workshops and master minds, to teach is to share a part of yourself, and that is so incredibly special. 💗

Seattle • May 9 • 9:30 am - 12:30 pm • Please join us for our second Mini Mother's Day Market celebrating Pet, Plant and Person Moms. This is a free community event, hosted by @StudioToujours and @HEMLEVA in the bright and beautiful @theflourboxseattle in Seattle. We will have 12 amazing local Seattle small businesses gathering in one place for only one weekend. Our amazing artists, makers & illustrators! + All Dog Kind • Darling accessories for you & your pups @alldogkind + Beau's Lil Barkery • Freshly baked treats for your pets @beauslilbarkery + Bumi Plants • Curated selection of houseplants @bumiplants + Euni & Co. • Design, lettering, + things that bring joy @euniandco + Fin Pin Shop • Ocean-inspired pins, stationery, and accessories @finpinshop + HEMLEVA • Nature-inspired products for you & your home @hemleva + J Kar Ceramics • Small batch ceramics @jkar.ceramics + Jovieta Jane • Illustrator and tattoo consultations @jovietajanecreative.studio + Rain Ceramics • Whimsical handmade ceramics @rain_ceramics + Studio Toujours • Modern, bold, intentionally designed jewelry @studiotoujours Flower Bar: + Marigold & Mint @marigoldandmintbotanicals Live Custom Portraits: + Bootskats @bootskats Our host and makers of the best donuts in Seattle: + The Flour Box @theflourboxseattle Tag your favorite Plant / Pet / People Mom, share this with your friends and your favorite Market Buddy. We hope you can join us. 🍃