If you were supposed to get an email from the forum but didn't (e.g. to verify your account for registration), email Wes at stararmy@gmail.com or talk to me on Discord for help. Sometimes the server hits our limit of emails we can send per hour.
As an aside, although it makes sense to make things uneditable once approved, I would like to point out that constructive criticism often comes after the fact and also that sometimes I notice things (or they are brought to my attention) that require minor adjustment in my approved designs, such as improvements to text flow or a more readable formatting.
I would suggest that the 'approved' section be allowed editing and replies, but not new topics by general users, as a potential response to these issues.