The Velvet Cauldron

🖤 We survived Pride... just about. 😴

What an incredible day! Thank you to everyone who stopped by our stall, supported our little business, and welcomed us with so much love. It was amazing to see familiar faces and meet so many wonderful new people. ❤️

Right now though... The Velvet Cauldron is officially running on empty and needs a day to rest, recover, and recharge.

✨ The shop will be closed tomorrow while we reorganise our stock, give the shop a little makeover, and prepare for our upcoming markets.

Thank you for all your support. It truly means the world to us. See you all very soon! ✨

The countdown to Exmouth Festival is on! 🖤✨

After all the amazing feedback we've received recently, we've been busy behind the scenes making sure we're bringing even MORE with us this year.

We'll have more bath bombs, more soap sponges, more wax melts and more choice across the range than ever before! 🛁🕯️

One of my favourite comments recently came from an older couple who told me they know when the shop door is open because they can smell it from the bottom of the hill. Moments like that genuinely mean the world to me.

Whether you've been supporting The Velvet Cauldron for years or you're planning to discover us for the first time, thank you. Every purchase, every share, every kind word and every recommendation helps this little business grow.

Come and say hello, have a sniff of the goodies, and treat yourself to something magical. ✨

🎉 ONE YEAR OF THE VELVET CAULDRON 🎉

On the 21st of June 2025, I unlocked the door to a little shop and hoped for the best.

Honestly?

I had absolutely no idea what I was doing.

Fast forward one year...

✨ Hundreds of customers
✨ Markets, events and Pride celebrations
✨ New products
✨ New friends
✨ Countless cups of coffee
✨ Several minor gremlin incidents

There have been days when the shop has been packed and days when I've wondered if I'd made a terrible mistake.

There have been laughs, tears, stock disasters, delivery delays and more wax melts than any one person should reasonably own.

But somehow...

We're still here. 🖤

To every customer who has shopped with us, shared a post, recommended us to a friend, popped in for a chat, supported a market, bought a crystal, bath bomb or wax melt...

Thank you.

You have helped turn a dream into something real.

So here's to one year of magic, chaos, caffeine and community.

And here's to whatever the next year brings. ✨🖤

Happy Birthday, Velvet Cauldron.

🚨 TODAY IS THE DAY! 🚨
It's finally Exmouth Pride! 🌈🖤

Did we sleep? No. Did we try to sleep? Yes. Did we spend the entire night lying there pretending sleep would eventually happen? Also yes. 😂
So today we're running on zero sleep, caffeine, adrenaline and pure excitement!

The boss has gone all out in her gorgeous rainbow dress 🌈, we've got the stalls packed, and we're as ready as two sleep-deprived witches can possibly be. 😅

If we seem a little chaotic today... that's because we are. 🤣

Come and find us at Manor Gardens for bath bombs, whipped soaps, perfumes, room sprays, wax melts, crystals and lots more. We'd love to see you all and celebrate Pride together! 🖤✨

Wish us luck... we're surviving on vibes alone today! 😂🌈

🖤🌈

What an absolute whirlwind of a day!!
Just wanted to pop onto the page and say what a fantastic job Leoni Amethyst Kirkby has done with prepping and making everything, as well as being a super fantastic mum on top of it all.
Tomorrow is a big day for The Velvet Cauldron, as you all may know from the posts, we are going to have a market stall in Manor Gardens for Exmouth Pride. There is still a few things to do this evening and early tomorrow morning.
Cannot wait to see you lovely humans tomorrow, we will be on the left side of bumble n bee by the gate as you're looking up from the stage area.
We will smash it tomorrow! As I keep reminding Leoni, WE.DO.HAVE.ENOUGH 😆 I have lost count how many labels I have cut and stuck.

This image is only some of the stock. We will post an image of the stall once it is fully set up and ready :)

~ M ~

💚 Friday at The Velvet Cauldron 💚

Today is a little different for us.

We'll be open as usual this morning, but I'll be leaving around 1pm because it's Eddie's Sports Day... and some things are simply more important than work.

As a single parent, there have been plenty of times when life has felt like a juggling act, but one thing I've always promised myself is that I will never miss the moments that matter. Parents' evenings, school events, Sports Day... if Eddie is taking part, I'll be there cheering him on from the sidelines. 💚

He's in Green Team today, so wish him luck! 🍀

Don't worry though, The Velvet Cauldron will still be open, as Maria will be holding the fort and we'll be here until around 5pm while we continue getting everything ready for tomorrow's event.

Right, back to stock, labels, last-minute preparations, and trying to remember where I've put absolutely everything... 😅

Have a wonderful Friday everyone! 💜

✨ Thursday at The Velvet Cauldron ✨

Current status:

☕ Running on caffeine and determination.
📦 Surrounded by stock.
🏷️ Up to our eyeballs in labels.
🎄 Getting everything ready for Saturday.
🧙‍♀️ Wondering why "I'll just make a few more things" always turns into a full day's work.

If anyone needs us today, we'll be busy preparing for the weekend, talking to products like they can hear us, and pretending we have a sensible organisational system.

We're open today from 9:30am until 2:30pm, so pop in and say hello!

Now, back to the stock mountain before it becomes self-aware... 👀
💜

🦆⚔️ ATTENTION CITIZENS ⚔️🦆

The Duck Army has officially assembled...

After months of rigorous training, questionable decision-making, and absolutely zero discipline, these little recruits are preparing for their biggest mission yet...

Exmouth Festival
📅 10th, 11th & 12th July

Hidden amongst our Lucky Dip Bags, you'll find an army of colourful ducks ready to waddle their way into new homes!

🎁 100 Lucky Dip Bags available
💜 Just £2 each
✨ Packed with surprises
🦆 Duck Army approved

Will you recruit a brave warrior duck?
A chaotic gremlin duck?
A mysterious duck of destiny?

There's only one way to find out...

The Duck Army is ready.
The countdown has begun.
And frankly, we're not entirely sure we can contain them much longer. 😅

✨ Wednesday Musings from The Velvet Cauldron ✨

It's hard to believe we're creeping up on a whole year since we opened our little doors.

In that time we've made thousands of products, attended events in all weathers, consumed questionable amounts of coffee, lost count of how many labels we've printed, and somehow managed to turn "that sounds like a good idea" into actual products. 😅

Some days have been magical, some have been chaotic, and some have involved asking ourselves why glitter manages to get absolutely everywhere.

But genuinely, thank you. Whether you've shopped with us, shared a post, visited us at an event, or simply followed along on our journey, you've helped us get this far. 💜

We're looking forward to being at Manor Gardens this Saturday and hopefully seeing some familiar faces!

For today, we're open from 9:30am until just before 4pm, busy making, labelling, packing and generally trying to look like we know what we're doing. 🧙‍♀️✨

Have a wonderful Wednesday!

✨ Tuesday at The Velvet Cauldron ✨

Today's to-do list:

☕ Drink coffee
🧼 Make soap sponges
📦 Pack orders
🧹 Pretend to be organised
🧙‍♀️ Get distracted by new product ideas
🛒 Accidentally add supplies to basket
😅 Wonder where the day went

If you need us, we'll be surrounded by soap, bubbles, and a growing pile of things that definitely looked easier in our heads.

We're open today til half 2 and busy brewing up bath, body and wax melt magic! 💜