Anatomically correct
I have several anatomically correct ladies who can drop their drapery which I take to shows. One is just stepping out of the shower wearing just a towel which can fall off. Never had a problem. They are always displayed high up so that children won't see them, start asking questions their parents don't want to answer. The adults discover them and have a wonderful time, laughing, teasing each other about them, and then... the wee folks find a new home...happens every time! I finally figured out why- friend who is psychiatrist concurs... most ladies over a certain age were raised during a very
restrictive era when ladies did not have bodies below the neck... were forced into girdles at the age of 10... now they know that today having a body is ok, normal... but their upbringing makes them feel slightly sinful about it... so in defiance against their mother, they have to have the doll!
Sammy

Display Ideas
I presently have 2 displays out! One is a corner curio with 4 shelves, and 14 dolls, each shelf has a different scene, a terrace, a patio, a piano concert stage, and a bedroom with fireplace. The other is a 10 gallon aquarium, I had a piece of glass cut to cover the top, put different floor  levels using some box lids and covered with green fabric, has 12 dolls  standing and sitting around.  Plan to make a park scene in it! Then I have the bride and groom in a small display box made from the instructions in the D & M magazine. All of these can be seen on my website under the Doll icon on the index!!  The rest of my poor little people are still in pieces in there boxes waiting  for bright ideas
Jo

Positioning
When putting the armature of your dolls together, make sure if the doll is to be carrying something, to make the arms a little longer. Also, if the doll will be sitting in a chair, you probably will need to make the legs a little longer. Sometimes perfect scale looks odd to us so use your best judgment.
Dale

Finger Positioning
The fingers are on all of my dolls. They start out in "flat" position, then with smooth sided needle nosed pliers, I position each finger, paint and the fingers won't break! I have men's and lady's hands.  They can be seen on my dolls at my site:
http://www.lsisson.com/TheFoot/
I also have half inch hands with fingers.
Laurie Sisson

Signing Dolls
I usually sign my dolls with a micron marker on the bottom of the feet.  If the bottom of the feet will show, I will sign on the upper thigh/leg of the figure.
Pearl

Signing Dolls
One way is to scribe your name in the lower back of the head. Or you can make a small little space across the lower back or back of neck with glaze and then when you china fire it can be scribed in gold/silver. Some thing different. You know I forgot to ask are we talking porcelain? If it is clay where it would be concealed at back of head or under clothing area.
Ann K

Signing Dolls
If it's a soft doll or a doll with clothing, many of the top doll artists sign on the underwear with a laundry marker when dolls are brought in for signing parties. Low fire/no fire clay, polymer clay dolls are often signed on the bottom of a foot with a micron permanent marker which is then sealed so it won't rub off. If it has a base that is an integral part of the doll... tree stump, plith, etc., they will often be signed on the bottom of the base using a permanent marker made for wood available at specialty woodworker stores.
Sammy

Signing Dolls
think if the doll is fired and dress already I would use a permanent sharpie or micron. If the doll is fired but not put together I just got a china paint fountain type pen that I am using to sign some PICS. It is really cool...then you signature can be fired on china paint.Michelle Geoffrion-Mahler

Signing a Dressed Doll
I sign dolls I dress on the petticoat. Or I have a blank label and sign that and glue or sew it to the outfit somewhere. I sign dressed and painted by......I use the pens Michelle uses ,also a gold one that is so pretty.  I don't sign the doll it self as I did not sculpt it. It is someone  else work and I don't want to take credit for someone's work only mine.
Deborah

Stands
I know of no way to make stands that do not show AT ALL... unless you use "the foot" by Laurie Sisson.   The feet are actually the stand. She can tell you more about them because she's on this list.

Otherwise, if you don't want to use a conventional stand, you can drill a hole into the floor where the doll will stand and put a small dowel in the hole.  (Cut the dowel's length to fit). Then push the protruding end of the dowel up the doll's pant leg (or pantaloon leg).
or:
Cover the bottom of the stand with the same material as the carpeting that it will be standing on. In that way it will not show up as much.
or:
Lean the doll lightly against a piece of furniture.
or:
Sand the bottom of the shoes flat, in the greenware stage... then make sure to balance your doll when you assemble it and it should stand especially if you have added a bit of mini wax under the feet.
or:
for ladies with long skirts. Make a narrow skirt of buckram. It should come to just the doll's hips.  Then slip the doll into that stiff skirt and it will help the doll to stand.
viola

Doll Stands
Spray paint them matt black (or a color close to the materials on the bottom of the doll). Helps hide them and looks more artistic.
Dana

The Foot
stands that don't show...try The Foot. It is the dolls leg from the knee down. When you use it to assemble your doll, she becomes pose able and stands without doll stand. Dana used the Foot with her Betty Bombshell doll so she could wear modern length skirts. The Foot comes in many sizes and styles so you can have bare feet or high heels. You can see Betty on Dana's website or look under Projects on mine to see the
Miss 4th of July project from last year where we used The Foot. All the instructions are there. Projects also has different ways to design shoes, for those who were asking this morning.
Laurie Sisson