Young entrepreneur is picture of success

Carys Langsdale, 16, has already sold 13 of her personalised pictures, which she makes by using words to create a shape.

Carys, who lives in Biggleswade Road in Dunton, has only been making the images for a few months but she is already making a success of it under her Carys L brand name.

She said: “I first made a picture at the beginning of June for my sister and I first sold a picture exactly a month afterwards. I’ve had my 13th order today –it’s going well.”

Carys, who is a Sixth Form student at Knights Templar School in Baldock, makes the pictures using Microsoft Publisher.

She spends some time experimenting with the shape and then moves the words around to get them into the best possible places.

The young entrepreneur said: “There are several different word options. You can chose a shape with just one word or pick several words and they are repeated. Or you can have completely different words so there are no repetitions.

“I’ve done quite a few as experiments to try and get people’s ideas flowing so I know what works and which colours work so it’s easy to give people advice.”

Being in the Lower Sixth, Carys has to fit her business in around her school work and it takes her longer to create pieces when she has a lot of homework.

But typically each picture takes a few hours to design and create. She also frames the pictures.

Sample images on the Carys L website include a tractor made out of the single word “Alfie” and a rocking horse from the name “Ellie.”

There is also an animal series with a lion, a giraffe, an elephant and a chicken.

Outdoors-y types will love the wheelbarrow, the bike and the bird, while the Eiffel Tower design gives a taste of the French capital. There is even a knife, fork and spoon design for the kitchen.

Plus Carys is happy to design shapes to order.

When not at school Carys has been visiting the local markets to sell her pictures and to attract more interest.

The pictures cost from £15 to around £40 depending on their size and complexity.

Customers can submit their picture preferences online and Carys will send a draft before making the final version.

Carys has designed her own website, which can be viewed at www.carysl.co.uk