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 #143. 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 #143
Anything Goes POSITIVE with the Opt. Twist of
Crafting by the Numbers—
School and Numbers: Use the Numbers 7, 8, &/or 9
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.
For September, we're bringing three numbers together: 7, 8 & 9!
And with September being the month when many students head back to
school, these numbers provide a wonderful opportunity to explore ideas
of learning, growth, progress, and new beginnings.
Designers often look to symbolism to add meaning to their work, and seven, eight, and nine each have interesting associations across cultures, religions, and traditions. Rather than having one universal meaning, these numbers have taken on different significance depending on the culture or tradition in which they appear. Together, however, they offer some wonderful inspiration for a month focused on learning and moving forward.
Seven is one of the most widely recognized symbolic numbers and is often associated with completion, perfection, holiness, and wholeness. In Jewish tradition, the seven-day cycle is central to the observance of Shabbat, the weekly day of rest. Seven also appears throughout Jewish festivals, rituals, and the Hebrew Bible, making it a number strongly connected with sacred time, completion, and reflection.
Eight often brings ideas of renewal, progress, and new beginnings. In Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path provides a framework for spiritual development and the ending of suffering, with eight interconnected features including right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. In Chinese culture, eight is considered a particularly fortunate number because its pronunciation is associated with getting rich and good fortune. These associations make eight a wonderful number for celebrating opportunity, progress, and the excitement of starting something new.
Nine has its own intriguing connections. In ancient Greek tradition, the Nine Muses were associated with poetry, music, history, and the arts, making nine a lovely number to connect with creativity, knowledge, and inspiration. Rather than assigning one universal meaning to nine, we can look to these traditions as reminders that learning can lead to creativity, discovery, and new ideas.
Christianity also gives us particularly meaningful connections to seven and eight. The seventh day represents the completion of the first creation and the Sabbath as a day of rest. In Christian tradition, the eighth day is associated with Christ's Resurrection and the beginning of a new creation, making eight a powerful symbol of renewal and new life. The number nine also has a beautiful connection through Galatians 5:22–23, which lists nine qualities known as the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities fit especially well with our own focus on positivity, encouragement, and inspiring others.
Together, seven, eight, and nine create a wonderful progression for our September theme: completion, new beginnings, and learning that leads to growth and creativity. And isn't that what going back to school is all about? We finish one chapter, begin another, and continue learning, discovering, and growing along the way.
In creative design, these numbers can be incorporated in obvious or subtle ways. You might use seven pencils, eight books, or nine stars on your project. Try adding seven school supplies, eight letters in a word, or nine little embellishments. Create a stack of eight books, arrange nine stars around a sentiment, or use seven repeated elements to create a border.
You could also let the numbers inspire the subject of your creation. Think seven apples for the teacher, eight colourful crayons, nine pencils, seven children heading to school, eight books in a stack, or nine little backpacks. Numbers can appear on a classroom clock, calendar, ruler, notebook, chalkboard, report card, or school bus. And don't forget birthdays and milestones. A card celebrating someone's 7th, 8th, or 9th birthday would fit beautifully!
For something a little more subtle, try incorporating the numbers through your layout. Use seven, eight, or nine embellishments, create a repeated pattern using one of the numbers, or divide your design into numbered sections. You could even use all three numbers together, for example, seven stars, eight gems, and nine dots. Whether your style is simple or richly detailed, there are plenty of ways to make these numbers count!
This month, incorporate one or more of these numbers into your design. Seven, eight, and nine each carry ideas of learning, growth, and progress. All concepts fitting perfectly with our back-to-school theme. From birthdays to milestones, there are countless meaningful ways to let these numbers tell a story.
Maybe your project celebrates a student starting a new grade, a teacher heading back to the classroom, a child's first day of school, academic achievement, friendship, encouragement, or simply the excitement of learning something new. And remember, your project doesn't have to be a traditional school-themed card. The numbers themselves can be the inspiration! So sharpen those pencils, open those notebooks, and let's get creative! Seven, eight, nine… it's time to learn, grow, and create!
Designers often look to symbolism to add meaning to their work, and seven, eight, and nine each have interesting associations across cultures, religions, and traditions. Rather than having one universal meaning, these numbers have taken on different significance depending on the culture or tradition in which they appear. Together, however, they offer some wonderful inspiration for a month focused on learning and moving forward.
Seven is one of the most widely recognized symbolic numbers and is often associated with completion, perfection, holiness, and wholeness. In Jewish tradition, the seven-day cycle is central to the observance of Shabbat, the weekly day of rest. Seven also appears throughout Jewish festivals, rituals, and the Hebrew Bible, making it a number strongly connected with sacred time, completion, and reflection.
Eight often brings ideas of renewal, progress, and new beginnings. In Buddhism, the Noble Eightfold Path provides a framework for spiritual development and the ending of suffering, with eight interconnected features including right understanding, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness, and concentration. In Chinese culture, eight is considered a particularly fortunate number because its pronunciation is associated with getting rich and good fortune. These associations make eight a wonderful number for celebrating opportunity, progress, and the excitement of starting something new.
Nine has its own intriguing connections. In ancient Greek tradition, the Nine Muses were associated with poetry, music, history, and the arts, making nine a lovely number to connect with creativity, knowledge, and inspiration. Rather than assigning one universal meaning to nine, we can look to these traditions as reminders that learning can lead to creativity, discovery, and new ideas.
Christianity also gives us particularly meaningful connections to seven and eight. The seventh day represents the completion of the first creation and the Sabbath as a day of rest. In Christian tradition, the eighth day is associated with Christ's Resurrection and the beginning of a new creation, making eight a powerful symbol of renewal and new life. The number nine also has a beautiful connection through Galatians 5:22–23, which lists nine qualities known as the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. These qualities fit especially well with our own focus on positivity, encouragement, and inspiring others.
Together, seven, eight, and nine create a wonderful progression for our September theme: completion, new beginnings, and learning that leads to growth and creativity. And isn't that what going back to school is all about? We finish one chapter, begin another, and continue learning, discovering, and growing along the way.
In creative design, these numbers can be incorporated in obvious or subtle ways. You might use seven pencils, eight books, or nine stars on your project. Try adding seven school supplies, eight letters in a word, or nine little embellishments. Create a stack of eight books, arrange nine stars around a sentiment, or use seven repeated elements to create a border.
You could also let the numbers inspire the subject of your creation. Think seven apples for the teacher, eight colourful crayons, nine pencils, seven children heading to school, eight books in a stack, or nine little backpacks. Numbers can appear on a classroom clock, calendar, ruler, notebook, chalkboard, report card, or school bus. And don't forget birthdays and milestones. A card celebrating someone's 7th, 8th, or 9th birthday would fit beautifully!
For something a little more subtle, try incorporating the numbers through your layout. Use seven, eight, or nine embellishments, create a repeated pattern using one of the numbers, or divide your design into numbered sections. You could even use all three numbers together, for example, seven stars, eight gems, and nine dots. Whether your style is simple or richly detailed, there are plenty of ways to make these numbers count!
This month, incorporate one or more of these numbers into your design. Seven, eight, and nine each carry ideas of learning, growth, and progress. All concepts fitting perfectly with our back-to-school theme. From birthdays to milestones, there are countless meaningful ways to let these numbers tell a story.
Maybe your project celebrates a student starting a new grade, a teacher heading back to the classroom, a child's first day of school, academic achievement, friendship, encouragement, or simply the excitement of learning something new. And remember, your project doesn't have to be a traditional school-themed card. The numbers themselves can be the inspiration! So sharpen those pencils, open those notebooks, and let's get creative! Seven, eight, nine… it's time to learn, grow, and create!
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
Bible Gateway (n.d.) Galatians 5:22–23, New International Version. Available at: https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians+5%3A22-23&version=NIV (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
BibleStudy.org (n.d.) Meaning of numbers in the Bible: The number 7.
Available at:
https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/7.html (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
BibleStudy.org (n.d.) Meaning of numbers in the Bible: The number 8.
Available at:
https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/8.html (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
BibleStudy.org (n.d.) Meaning of numbers in the Bible: The number 9.
Available at:
https://www.biblestudy.org/bibleref/meaning-of-numbers-in-bible/9.html (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Catholic Church (n.d.) Catechism of the Catholic Church: Heaven and Earth. Vatican. Available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_one/article_1/paragraph_5_heaven_and_earth.html (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Catholic Church (n.d.) Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Lord's Day. Vatican. Available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_three/section_two/chapter_one/article_3/ii_the_lords_day.index.html (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Dharma Realm Buddhist University (2025) What is the Noble Eightfold Path? A Brief Explanation of the Buddha’s Path of Liberation. Available at: https://www.drbu.edu/news/what-is-the-noble-eightfold-path/ (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Goodfriend, E. (2021) Seven, the Biblical Number. TheTorah.com. Available at: https://www.thetorah.com/article/seven-the-biblical-number (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Kan, Q. (2023) Chinese at the tip of your tongue: Culture behind the numbers. OpenLearn, The Open University. Available at: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages/chinese-the-tip-your-tongue-culture-behind-the-numbers (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Netchev, S. (2023) The Nine Muses of Greek Mythology. World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18283/the-nine-muses-of-greek-mythology/ (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Sergi. (2024). The Profound Meaning of Number 7. Inspyria. Available at: https://inspyria.com/en/retreat-culture-blog/the-profound-meaning-of-number-7 (Accessed 12 August 2026).
Catholic Church (n.d.) Catechism of the Catholic Church: Heaven and Earth. Vatican. Available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_one/section_two/chapter_one/article_1/paragraph_5_heaven_and_earth.html (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Catholic Church (n.d.) Catechism of the Catholic Church: The Lord's Day. Vatican. Available at: https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_three/section_two/chapter_one/article_3/ii_the_lords_day.index.html (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Dharma Realm Buddhist University (2025) What is the Noble Eightfold Path? A Brief Explanation of the Buddha’s Path of Liberation. Available at: https://www.drbu.edu/news/what-is-the-noble-eightfold-path/ (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Goodfriend, E. (2021) Seven, the Biblical Number. TheTorah.com. Available at: https://www.thetorah.com/article/seven-the-biblical-number (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Kan, Q. (2023) Chinese at the tip of your tongue: Culture behind the numbers. OpenLearn, The Open University. Available at: https://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages/chinese-the-tip-your-tongue-culture-behind-the-numbers (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Netchev, S. (2023) The Nine Muses of Greek Mythology. World History Encyclopedia. Available at: https://www.worldhistory.org/image/18283/the-nine-muses-of-greek-mythology/ (Accessed: 12 August 2026).
Sergi. (2024). The Profound Meaning of Number 7. Inspyria. Available at: https://inspyria.com/en/retreat-culture-blog/the-profound-meaning-of-number-7 (Accessed 12 August 2026).
World Numerology (n.d.) Numerology Meaning of Number 7. Available at: https://www.worldnumerology.com/numerology-single-digit-numbers/numerology-meaning-of-7/ (Accessed 12 August 2026).
World Numerology (n.d.) Numerology Meaning of Number 8. Available at: https://www.worldnumerology.com/numerology-single-digit-numbers/numerology-meaning-of-8/ (Accessed 12 August 2026).
World Numerology (n.d.) Numerology Meaning of Number9. Available at: https://www.worldnumerology.com/numerology-single-digit-numbers/numerology-meaning-of-9/ (Accessed 12 August 2026).
Chat
GPT was used to help me create some elements of the description and to
also help with providing references in the Harvard style.
To help inspire you further down the path of Crafting by the Numbers—School & Numbers: Use the Numbers 7, 8, &/or 9,
check out the wonderful project that Katrina had the opportunity to
create. Clicking on her name will take you to her blog
where
you can check out the details for this inspirational creation.
Thanks again to my remarkable design team! As always, Katrina brings
a distinctive creative perspective that I deeply admire. This design captures the theme Crafting by the Numbers—School & Numbers: Use the Numbers 7, 8, &/or 9 beautifully, and I hope Katrina has inspired you throughout this challenge to create a
handmade project of your own. Be sure to visit this talented lady to
see how thoughtfully her project incorporates 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? Since we are covering 3 separate numbers this month, we are up to numbers seven, eight & nine in our Crafting by Numbers
journey. As such, this month it is time
to share a project that incorporates one or more of these numbers into your design. 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.
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.
Thank you so much to this awesome
Canadian company for their
continued support of this challenge blog!
continued support of this challenge blog!
Don't Forget...
Winners for
challenge #142 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.
We look forward to seeing you participate!
