Hello everyone and welcome
to the Path of
Positivity Challenge Blog! It is the first Monday
of the
month and it is time for our latest challenge to begin! We hope that you
and your families continue to stay healthy and safe out there.
Since we are not
your typical challenge blog, it is important for you to
understand how things work in order to be sure you are eligible to win
any of the prizes offered. If
you are new to this unique challenge, you can find out the impetus
behind why I started it under the 'Introductions' tab and you can find out all the details you need to know in order to participate, in the 'Challenge Details'
tab (both tabs located at the top of the blog). For your convenience, a
summary of the most important rules can also be found in the right
sidebar under the heading 'General Rules'.
Right now, it is time to get down to the business of our latest challenge. Here is what you need to know...
Challenge #145
Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of
Crafting by the Numbers—
11 Ingredients…or More
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.
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.
For November, we're turning our attention to the number 11! This month, we're inviting you to explore the idea of 11 Ingredients…or More by creating a project using at least eleven different materials, including adhesives. You can certainly use more than eleven, so don't feel that you have to stop once you've reached your target! Whether you enjoy making cards, creating journal pages, working with mixed media, or experimenting with other crafty pursuits, this is a wonderful opportunity to see what happens when you bring a variety of materials together.
As you will have seen from previous posts this year, designers often look to symbolism to add another layer of meaning to their work, and eleven has some interesting associations. In modern numerology, eleven is often described as a special or 'master' number, associated with intuition, inspiration, insight, and spiritual awareness. It is sometimes seen as a number that encourages us to look beyond the ordinary and recognize possibilities we might otherwise overlook. Although these interpretations aren't universal, they offer some lovely ideas for creative people to explore. After all, who hasn't started a project with one idea in mind, only to discover that a little experimentation leads somewhere entirely unexpected?
Eleven also has some fascinating connections in Hindu traditions. In Hindu sacred literature, the Rudras are a group of eleven divine beings associated with Rudra, a deity closely connected with Shiva. The names and descriptions of the eleven Rudras vary among different Hindu texts, illustrating how the number appears within a rich and diverse spiritual tradition. For our creative purposes, this connection offers an interesting reminder that a single number can represent a collection of distinct elements, each contributing to a larger whole.
In Christianity, the number eleven appears in the Bible in connection with the disciples of Jesus. Following the betrayal and death of Judas Iscariot, eleven disciples remained, as described in Matthew 28:16 and other New Testament passages. Matthias was later chosen to take Judas's place, restoring the group to twelve (Acts 1:26). While eleven is not consistently presented as a positive symbolic number in Christian teaching, this biblical account gives us a meaningful way to reflect on perseverance, renewal, and moving forward after a difficult change.
Of course, numbers can carry very different meanings depending on the culture, tradition, or context in which they appear. There isn't one universal interpretation of eleven, and that's part of what makes exploring number symbolism so interesting! For us, the number eleven provides a wonderful opportunity to think about creativity, possibility, and what can happen when we reach a little beyond our usual boundaries. Sometimes the most interesting results come from combining things we wouldn't ordinarily think to put together.
So, how can we turn eleven into something creative? Well, this month's optional twist is all about the materials you use! For cardmakers, that could mean combining cardstock, patterned paper, stamped images, ink, colouring mediums, ribbon, twine, gems, sequins, die cuts, and adhesive. You might create a festive Christmas scene with layered papers, a stamped sentiment, glitter, texture paste, and a sprinkling of embellishments. Or perhaps you could make a mixed-media background using paint, stencils, tissue paper, modelling paste, stamps, and collage elements before adding your focal image.
If you're more inclined towards journaling or scrapbooking, why not experiment with different papers, washi tapes, tags, photographs, fabric scraps, ink sprays, stickers, and decorative elements? Those who enjoy mixed media might try layering gesso, acrylic paints, collage papers, texture mediums, stamps, stencils, and found objects to create a piece with plenty of depth and interest. You could even make a bookmark, festive gift tag, small canvas, altered object, or handmade decoration using an assortment of materials. There really are so many possibilities!
And don't forget that adhesives count as one of your materials! Just be sure you use at least eleven different materials in total. You don't need to use eleven different colours of the same ink or eleven sheets of paper to meet the requirement; the idea is to explore a variety of materials in your creation. If you're unsure whether something qualifies, use your best judgment and, if necessary, explain the materials you've used when sharing your project.
This isn't about making things complicated or rushing out to buy a whole lot of new supplies. Instead, it's about looking at what you already have, trying combinations you might not normally consider, and allowing yourself a little creative freedom. This is the perfect opportunity to go exploring through your scraps box or even your recycling bin. Sometimes an unexpected material or an extra layer can be just the thing that takes a project in a new direction. And who knows? You might even discover a new favourite technique along the way!
So, gather your supplies, count up those ingredients, and see what wonderful things you can create with eleven materials or more!
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
- $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
American Bible Society (2010) 'Numbers in the Bible'. American Bible Society. Available at: https://www.americanbible.org/engage/bible-resources/articles/numbers-in-the-bible/ (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
Ayonrinde, O.A., Stefatos, A., Miller, S., Richer, A., Nadkarni, P., She, J., Alghofaily, A. and Mngoma, N. (2021) 'The salience and symbolism of numbers across cultural beliefs and practice', International Review of Psychiatry, 33(1–2), pp. 179–188. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1080/09540261.2020.1769289 (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
Bhattacharjee, M. (2018) 'Number of Rudra'. In Rudra-Shiva Concept. Wisdom Library. Available at: https://www.wisdomlib.org/hinduism/essay/rudra-shiva-concept-study/d/doc1146703.html (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
Bible Gateway (n.d.) 'The Eleven'. Encyclopedia of the Bible. Available at: https://www.biblegateway.com/resources/encyclopedia-of-the-bible/Eleven (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
BibleStudy.org (n.d.) Meaning of Numbers in the Bible: The Number 11. Biblestudy.org. Available at: https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/11.html (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
David. (2026). Biblical Meaning of Numbers 1–100 – A Christian Guide to Numbers in the Bible. Christ Church, Woodford.. Last Updated: 28 August 2026. Available at: https://christchurchwoodford.org/biblical-meaning-of-numbers-1-100/ (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
Hulse, D.A. (2002) 'The Numbers Eleven and Twenty Two'. Llewellyn Worldwide. Available at: https://llewellyn.com/encyclopedia/article/71 (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
Unknown. (Unknown.). History and Meaning of Number 11. [Online]. SCRIBD. Available at: https://www.scribd.com/document/955146152/History-of-Number-11 (Accessed: 24 October 2026).
Chat GPT was used to help me polish some elements of writing, to come up with some examples of design and to also format my references.
My incredible design team never fails to impress me. Katrina always brings a distinct perspective and a keen understanding of the theme. Even now, I am continually amazed by the depth of talent reflected in her creations. The project above has beautifully embodied the idea of Crafting by Numbers—11 Ingredients…or More, and I hope we have encouraged you to begin your own creative journey.
So what are you waiting for? 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?! While it isn't mandatory, we'd also love to find out how this month's twist affects your own life. 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 11th month of the year, we are up to number eleven in our Crafting by Numbers journey. As such, this month it is time to use 11 ingredients or more. 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. Finally, remember that we're trying to create a Path of Positivity so if you have some time, please visit other people participating throughout the month.
Please join us again next week when we will [hopefully] post the Top Picks for Challenge #144. Then, be sure to join us again on November 16th when we'll be back with our midway featuring more great projects.
If you ever have any questions be sure to send an email to decossesdynamitedoodles {at} yahoo {dot} ca (don't forget to replace {at} and {dot} with the appropriate symbols), or just leave me a comment.
We look forward to seeing you participate!
Link Up Below:
If you have any problems linking up, please be sure to let me know by leaving a comment on this post.
Ch. #145--Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of Crafting by the Numbers— 11 Ingredients…or More
This is the place to link up something that you have created during the
month that you consider positive, inspirational, motivational or encouraging in some nature. Entries for this challenge will be accepted from November 2nd until 11:59 p.m. (ET) on December 6th, 2026.
SEVEN entries MAX. Please click on the 'Challenge Details' tab located at the top of the blog to see all the rules. A summary of the most important rules can also be found in the right sidebar under the heading 'General Rules'. If you would like to be a Guest Designer in a future challenge, please add the letters GDT after your name.
SEVEN entries MAX. Please click on the 'Challenge Details' tab located at the top of the blog to see all the rules. A summary of the most important rules can also be found in the right sidebar under the heading 'General Rules'. If you would like to be a Guest Designer in a future challenge, please add the letters GDT after your name.
