How to create multi boot from same image?

Newbies questions...
I read through many multi boot related articles, lots of questions about restoring, cloning, backing up and other problems.
What I did not find is an answer to the following scenario.

Once I have installed my XP or Win7 on a laptop, which is causing lots of grief every time due to the drivers to be identified and set up, I want to create an image. No big deal so far.

However, now I want to use this image as the baseline for three or more bootable OS on the same system. How can I do this ?
In principle I thought about creating different partitions on the same disk, then restore the image to each of these partitions, to finally somehow create a boot menue.
Can I also easily mix XP and WIN7
Final question then would be, how to restore one of the OS, not loosing the boot menue?

Before I mess things up, or go down the wrong route, I thought its worthwhile to ask.

txs in advance

J.