Challenge #141--Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of: Crafting by the Numbers—5 Layer Cake: Make it Sweet &/or Use 5 Layers…Midway

 

Hey folks! Welcome back to the Path of Positivity Challenge Blog! It is the third Monday of the month and that means that it is time to present the midway for Challenge #141. It is my fond hope that each of you and your own families continue to stay happy, safe, and well, wherever it is you live in this big wide world of ours. 

As we are a unique kind of challenge blog, it is important for you to understand how things work. Please be sure to check out the START POST FOUND HERE for the specific details related to this month's challenge, and you can find out all the general details you need to know in order to participate, by clicking on the 'Challenge Details' tab (located at the top of the blog). For your convenience, a summary of the most important rules can now be found in the right sidebar under the heading 'General Rules'.
 
Right now, it is time to continue with our midway. Here is a refresher of the details for our current twist:

 

 

Challenge #141

Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of 

Crafting by the Numbers—

5 Layer Cake: Make it Sweet and/or Use 5 Layers

 

The Path of Positivity turned 13 this year! While the number 13 has long carried a reputation for being unlucky, we’re choosing to embrace it as a symbol of growth, perseverance, and creative courage. After all, 13 years of inspiration, kindness, and community feels pretty lucky to us. Since this year marks an important number for us, we've decided that NUMBERS should be the overall focus in our theme for 2026 (click here if you'd like to read more in depth about our overall theme for 2026)!

Throughout the year, our monthly card challenges will be inspired by specific numbers. Whether numbers speak to you mathematically, symbolically, spiritually, or simply as a design prompt, we hope this theme invites you to think a little differently, stretch your imagination, and—most of all—have fun. Let’s make this a year where numbers truly count.

 

Designers often look to symbolism to add meaning to their work, and the number five offers a rather abundant source of inspiration. Across cultures, philosophies, and spiritual traditions, five represents movement, curiosity, and change. Unlike more stable numbers, five brings energy and unpredictability, making it ideal for projects like greeting cards, prints, or surface designs.

At its core, five is linked to change, freedom, and exploration. In numerology, it sits in the middle of the single-digit numbers, representing a turning point where stability meets growth. It’s also connected to the five human senses—sight, hearing, touch, taste, and smell—which connect us to the world in vital ways. Designers can use this association to create work that feels lively, sensory, and engaging. 

 

Culturally, five appears in fascinating ways. In Islamic tradition, it holds deep spiritual importance through the Five Pillars and daily prayers. In Chinese philosophy, there are five elements: wood, fire, earth, metal, and water. These elements represent balance and harmony. Many traditions also place a fifth point at the centre of the four directions to symbolize connection between the physical and spiritual worlds. This shows that five often bridges structure with movement, or matter with spirit.

In Christian tradition, the number five is often associated with grace, provision, and care. Examples include the five books of the Torah (Pentateuch) and the five loaves used by Jesus to feed the 5,000, both seen as symbols of abundance and support. It also appears in the Ten Commandments, where two sets of five highlight guidance for living in harmony with God and others. Overall, five in Christianity reflects themes of balance, guidance, and sustenance, making it a meaningful symbol for design projects that suggest completeness or support.

 

Spiritually, five is seen as a symbol of personal growth and transformation. It encourages one to step out beyond routine and embrace new experiences. In other words, the ability to showcase flexibility and strength in tough situations. The five-pointed star (pentagram) has long represented balance, protection, and the human form, showing how harmony exists within change. For designers, this duality can inspire work that feels both structured and free.
 

In creative design, the number five naturally appears in layout and composition. It can appear through five-part patterns, radial designs, star shapes, or grouped elements to guide the eye and create rhythm. Unlike even-numbered arrangements, five introduces slight asymmetry, which often feels more natural and interesting. This makes it perfect for contemporary greeting cards and creative projects that aim to feel playful.

 

Using the number five in design is about embracing energy, movement, and storytelling. Through cultural, spiritual, and visual means, it can turn simple designs into something dynamic, layered, and meaningful.

This month, we’re layering on the creativity by encouraging you to use five layers or to embrace a sweet theme (or both!). For designers taking on the challenge of making a five-layered design, you can use the idea of “five” to shape both the structure and creativity. Each layer can represent something different. For ex., one layer for stability and foundation, another layer for movement, a third for balance and harmony, a fourth for meaning, and a fifth for visual impact. You can also use five shapes, colours, or patterns to help tie everything together while keeping it interesting. Using layouts like star shapes or uneven groupings of five adds energy and keeps the design engaging. This way, the layers not only look good but also guide the viewer’s eye in a clear, creative way. Don’t be afraid to add depth, texture, and a little extra fun.

Remember, the twist is completely optional and you don't need to follow it in order to win. However, in order to be considered eligible for this month's goodies, remember that general types of projects/posts will not qualify for the honours and prize UNLESS they are also positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Additionally, even if a project may qualify as positive, if your post promotes negativity, hatred or anything of an abhorrent nature, your project will be disqualified. Honours and Prize include:

• $6 worth of images from Scribbles Designs, for a person chosen in a random draw based on all qualifying entrants.
• A badge for the following honours: Top Pick, Most Inspirational, Random Winner, DT Delight.

 

References

Astratarot (n.d.) Meaning of number 5 in numerology. Available at: https://astratarot.net/pages/guides/meaning-of-number-5-in-numerology (Accessed: 6 April 2026).

BibleStudy.org (n.d.) Meaning of numbers in the Bible: The number 5. Available at: https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/5.html (Accessed: 6 April 2026).

Decoz, H. (n.d.) Numerology meaning of 5. World Numerology. Available at: https://www.worldnumerology.com/numerology-single-digit-numbers/numerology-meaning-of-5/ (Accessed: 24 April 2026).
Encyclopaedia Britannica (n.d.) The number five. Available at: https://www.britannica.com/science/the-number-five (Accessed: 6 April 2026).
Symbolostic (2025) Number 5 symbolism: spiritual meaning, life lessons & numerology. Available at: https://symbolostic.com/number-5-symbolism/ (Accessed: 6 April 2026).
The Coolist (2023) Numerology 5 meaning: flexibility and resilience. Available at: https://www.thecoolist.com/mystic/numerology/5-meaning/ (Accessed: 6 April 2026).

 

Chat GPT was used to help me polish some elements of writing, to come up with some examples of what each layer can represent and to also format my references.  

 

To help inspire you further down the path of Crafting by the Numbers—5 Layer Cake: Make it Sweet &/or Use 5 Layers, check out the wonderful projects my Design Team had the opportunity to create. Clicking on each team member's name will take you to their blog where you can check out the details for their inspirational creations. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks again to my remarkable design team! As always, each member brings a distinctive creative perspective that I deeply admire. Every one of these designs captures the theme Crafting by the Numbers—5 Layer Cake: Make it Sweet &/or Use 5 Layers beautifully, and I hope they’ve inspired you throughout this challenge to create a handmade project of your own. Be sure to visit these talented ladies to see how thoughtfully their projects incorporate the twist.

 

Why not join us, if you haven't entered already? Create a project and/or post that is positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature and join our link up. How about stretching yourself by also opting to follow the twist?! How are you influenced by numbers? Do you rely on any spiritual or cultural interpretations to help you process the various ways that number influence your life? As it is the fifth month of the year, we are up to number five in our Crafting by Numbers journey. As such, this month it is time to create a project with five layers or to incorporate a sweet theme. Be sure to check above for some specific ideas if you aren't sure how to get started. If you want to share your process on how you decided your project, you can write a sentence or two in the body of your post, write a sentence at the bottom of your post next to the link up for this challenge, or simply leave a comment on this post if you'd like.

Also, I know that the participants would love for you to go and pay them a visit. Remember we're creating a Path of Positivity to follow one project at a time and we'd love to see you somewhere on that route even if it is just by leaving a comment on an entry from someone who has touched you somehow with their project and/or post! You can find our list of participants and enter our latest challenge yourself by clicking HERE and scrolling down to the bottom of the post.

 

GENEROUSLY SPONSORED BY…

Please show your support to our wonderful sponsor, Scribbles Designs, by going over and checking out their work and saying hi if you have the chance. You may also just find an image or two to add your your collection!

Thank you so much to this awesome Canadian company for their
continued support of this challenge blog!

Don't Forget...

Winners for challenge #140 will be posted next Monday if everything goes according to plan. You can find the Top Picks post HERE.

 

If you ever have any questions be sure to leave me a comment.

 

Click HERE to head to the current challenge post & link up!

 

 

We look forward to seeing you participate!