Portable Puppet Theatre #2 This folding hand-puppet theatre is designed to unfold and bolt with wing-nuts onto a custom-made wooden folding table.  It has draw-string curtains and a plain black back-drop.  The whole assembly folds flat for storage and transportation. Lionel made the "hamburger" puppet from a plastic pet's squeaky toy purchased at a discount store and cut in two, and then added a body, a tongue and ping-pong-ball eyes.  Backing tracks were pre-recorded with sound effects and narrated scripts written by and read by Lionel and others. Photos and description courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Posted with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley . 

Miniature Piano for Marionette  This miniature mock grand piano, that Lionel made for the string puppet "Bert", has a speaker inside to play pre-recorded piano music from an external device so that it sounds and looks like the puppet is playing.  It has painted keys and  a matching piano stool.  The music pages were photo-reduced so that their size is appropriate in relation to that of the piano.    This last photo shows the puppeteer, David, playing it in a public street in Murwillumbah NSW, to give you an idea of its relative size. Photos and descriptions courtesy of Lionel Hartley.  Posted with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley . 

David's Cubby House (Tree House) What kid doesn't dream of a tree house when they are small?  Lionel's then-infant son David was no exception and the gap between these two trees with a picnic table beneath leant themselves to fulfilling his wishes.  With an aluminium ladder up the side to a generous sized door, windows side, front and back, with couple of folded sheets of corrugated iron as a roof, some Masonite walls and an old trestle-table top as a floor, David's dream became a reality. Furthermore, to his credit, he was happy to share it with his siblings (one of whom is seen in this photo). Photo and descriptions courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Posted with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley .

Drum Toybox Lionel picked up a plywood bass drum from a bargain store for a pittance because the fabric was torn on both sides and the tensioners were broken, but he bought it because the plywood was in reasonable condition and he visualised what you see in this photo.  By discarding the fabric, bands and tensioners and cutting a wooden base out of an off-cut of marine ply, putting some rubber feet underneath, and making replacement handles all around, somehow the bass drum became a toy box which was much loved by his daughter when she was an infant. (She sat in it more often than put toys in it.) Photo and descriptions courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Posted with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley .

Ada's Dolls' House This dolls' house, one of several that Lionel has made over the years, was made for the infant children of his sister Ada. It was made of solid timber and stood 5-feet tall.  All the doll's furniture was hand crafted and a hidden compartment at the bottom stored the furniture and dolls when the Dolls' House was not in use. The interior walls were lined with wallpaper from a traveller's sample book. The floors were covered with linoleum off-cuts. Photo and description courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Posted with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley .

Metal Steerable Go-cart This colourful go-cart was designed and built by Lionel using parts from a discarded Victa lawnmower chassis, and the top pole from a swingset. It has adjustable steering reins, canvas padded removable seat, and a front hook for towing. The steering assembly and footrest were made from steel box-section. He made it suitable for ages 6-12 as it has an adjustable footrest depending on the length of the users' legs. Photos and description courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Posted with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley .

  Norreen's Cubbie House This cubby house, one of several made over the years by Lionel was built at Red Range (NSW) for one of his children when she was young.   It includes a verandah and aluminium awning and is clad with plastic weatherboards, a Perspex window and it has metal door large enough for an adult to enter.  Photos and description courtesy of Lionel Hartley.  Published with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley .

  Log Cabin Cubbyhouse What can be made from 898 seasoned redwood (hardwood) round tentpoles destined for burning as firewood?  Well, these photos say it all.  By cladding a pine framework with the tentpoles cut to various lengths, Lionel created this delightful cubbie house for his then-infant children.   It was a challenge, as it was nailed together with long galvanised nails, but every single nail required pre-drilling through the hardwood poles in order to assemble it. It features a generously sized doorway, windows, a waterproofed cathedral ceiling inside, a kiddie swing on one side and a verandah with a built-in adult-sized seat, all built on a platform of tongue-and-groove flooring on a hardwood base.  Photos and description courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Published with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley .

 Jacob's Cubby House   Bespoke Custom-made Cubby House designed and built by Lionel for his then-infant grandson Jacob. Solid construction, Decking-timber Verandah, Marine-ply walls, Arched Windows. Metal Roof with ABS Guttering, Chalk-board, Reinforced soft-edge corners. Made to fit on a box-trailer for transportation. Size: 6ft 6in long (200) x 5ft tall (153). Roof 6ft 6in long (200) x 5ft 3in wide (160). Base 6ft 6in long (200) x 3ft 6in wide (105). Construction Video: Photos, video and description courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Published with Lionel's permission by The Friends of Lionel Hartley .

 Fairground Train Unfinished project (see below) Take a mini motorcar, remove the doors and bonnet and build a metal surround to resemble a steam train. Make three colourful closed-in 4-wheeled trailers resembling carriages to be pulled behind. This is what Lionel was doing before a shed fire at Eraring, NSW destroyed the lot. Photo and description courtesy of Lionel Hartley. Published with Lionel's permission by the Friends of Lionel Hartley .