The First Edition
La Femme Journal | Issue 01 | March 2025
Editor’s Note: Goodbye March!
Hey Foundry Fam!
Can you believe March is already over? This month has felt like an absolute rollercoaster ride, but then again, I guess that’s the creative life, right?
This month has not been without its challenges. I feel like I had a little too much on my plate. Juggling my toddler, family life, client work, networking events, summits, starting The Femme Foundry, and just... running a business.
Still, even with the chaos, it’s been so rewarding. I can’t believe The Femme Foundry has already been live for a whole month. I’m so grateful to be on this journey with all of you.
La Femme Journal (The Woman Journal/Newspaper)
"Journal" is masculine in French, so typically it would be "Le Journal Femme," or "Le Journal des Femmes," meaning "The Women's Journal." Thus, "La Femme Journal" feels slightly unconventional (which suits me perfectly) It's not incorrect, but it has a creative twist. I wanted to keep it feminine - Going for less Masculine energy here:)
This is the first edition of our monthly “La Femme Journal” where I’ll be sharing some of the months awesome happenings, standout stories, trends, a project spotlight or two, creative inspo, maybe even a challenge to keep those creative juices flowing.
What you can expect in this edition:
A beautiful brand project from Canada
A bold, empowering women’s health campaign I loved
Some big changes over on Dribbble
My April mood and creative intention
A quick design lesson I learned the hard way this month
A small biz spotlight featuring a magical jewelry brand
What I’m watching, reading, and loving right now
A fun creative challenge to spark your next idea
The Edit: March Highlights
Brand Project Spotlight: Rose Boulangerie by Superstudio in Canada.
This one stopped me in my tracks. Rose Boulangerie is guided by taste, rooted in the land. The branding honors traditional baking methods and local sourcing in such a beautiful, tangible way. Superstudio used actual bread and pastry slices, inked and rolled like old-school printmaking to create textures. Like... what?! So cool. I’m lowkey obsessed and definitely want to try the technique myself. Go check it out, it’s something special.
Definitely check out the video below. You can see how they created the pattern. Super awesome!
Brand Campaign: Flo Health Inc
There’s no such thing as “too much” when it comes to women’s health. Flo Health went all in with a campaign that featured eight people in pink morph suits running through London with bold, in-your-face headlines. It made me smile. It made me proud. And it got people talking.
What really stood out to me in this campaign was how it created space for open, honest conversation about women’s health. Because when women feel safe enough to speak up, stigma fades. I can’t even tell you how much I loved this one.
Trending News: What is Dribbble Thinking?
“Starting today, we're introducing a new policy that requires clients and designers who meet on Dribbble to make and receive payments through Dribbble. This is to protect both parties and mediate any issues during the course of the project. It also enables us to invest more in our product, marketing, and customer support, which will create more opportunities for designers.”
Let's just say that the response was overwhelmingly negative - “Abysmal decision” Honestly, the vibe across the board was pure disappointment. Distrust. Designers saying they’re jumping ship. Are we witnessing the Fiverr-ification of Dribbble? Who knows, but it sparked a big conversation about platforms and creative ownership.
What do you think?
Inspiration Corner: April Mood Board
The first few months of the year were full-on. For April, I’m craving more play. More creativity. I want to try new styles, explore without pressure, make things just for the joy of it. That’s the intention: colour, freedom, fun. Just making cool sh*t.
Do you make monthly mood boards or vision boards? I would love to see them if you do. Join the chat!
I love creating mood boards! It’s probably just the Pinterest scrolling.
Quick Design Insight: Lesson of the Month
I’ve got a solid design process, but wow... this month still threw me for a loop. (The ‘lessons’ never end unfortunately) When you’re collaborating with other creatives or working as part of a team, things can get messy fast without clear boundaries.
Here’s what I learned (again): Have a contract. Spell out who’s doing what, how communication will work, and how you'll handle client interactions.
Everyone is an “expert” and has their own way of doing things, and it can turn stressful fast. So yeah: boundaries, boundaries, boundaries.
What lessons did you learn this month? I’d love to hear them.
Femme Foundry Recommends:
Featured Small Business: CoruLinna
I was lucky enough to win a giveaway from CoruLinna for International Women’s Day and honestly, I’m in love. CoruLinna is the jewelry brand by Valda Tolonen, a Latvian artist based in Finland. Her pieces are made from polymer clay, and every single one is handcrafted, full of personality, and completely unique.
The name CoruLinna comes from the Finnish words "koru" (jewel) and "linna" (castle). It’s as dreamy as it sounds.
Valda is an awesome human, and her work is gorgeous and absolutely worth checking out.
Support your fellow creatives. It matters.
To Watch: Not design-related at all, but I binged Severance and OMG. Just go watch it.
To Read: Finally finishing Atomic Habits. April is the month, okay? Hold me to it.
Creative Challenge: Try Something New
Pick a new medium. A new tool. A weird idea that’s been stuck in the back of your mind. Create just for fun. No client. No rules. Just you, your creativity, and whatever mess it makes.
Share it in the community if you feel like it. Or don’t. This one’s just for you.
That’s a wrap!
Thank you for being here, for sharing this wild creative ride with me. Let me know what stood out to you this month, and if you loved any of the projects, recs, or insights. I’ll catch you in the next edition.
See you next month, gorgeous humans!
Tracy xx
Can’t believe March is pretty much over! I hadn’t heard about dribbble. I have used them often for inspiration. Disappointing to see it be fiver-sized.