Wow, DollyPop!! As an avid clicker of random things on my home screen, I had NO idea what an absolutely gorgeous video this was going to be! Beyond your obvious talent, creativity and artistry the way you tell a story is so lovely and earnest. All the best to you and your family, and thanks for allowing a rando on the internet like me a glimpse into your romance.
This is an amazing comment. 🥹Thank you. Hopefully you won’t be a rando for very long and join our little community. ❤️ OK, I’m crying now. Gah! Thank you so much.
Thank you for showing the world your acceptance and kindness! I'm a trans man myself, and as someone whose family still has a hard time with it, I appreciate you sharing your story. It gives me hope
When Mae first came out, there wasn’t really anything describing the positive aspects of a relationship with a trans person. Now that we’ve gotten over the hump, I’ve made it a point to be as public as possible. I’m sorry that your family is struggling. I’m sure it’s because they love you so much that they don’t want to see you go through the struggles of a trans person, as well as the future they envisioned for you. Or perhaps they need to be educated. But I hope it gets better. I’m proud of you for being your authentic self. ❤️
I’m always a fan of seeing people’s progress in art, as I thought this is, but it’s even more special! It’s so cute and thoughtful that you did this for her. As a trans guy myself, I love seeing trans joy and I can already imagine the amount of joy this brings to her (I would have LOVED seeing her reaction)
Sadly, it’s difficult to keep things a secret in this house. My workshop is our entire front room with no doors. So I didn’t get to surprise her, but I think she loves it.
Love is supporting your partner's decisions, since tiny to the big ones of their life. In my country , social prejudices are bigger than understanding and tolerance. I met transgender people who leave their home , their families and many aqcuaintances discriminate them. And move to other countries for a better new life. This video is pure love and I hope many people learn about it.
I'm laughing in happiness, as I've been following Mae's comic since almost the beginning, and started following you last year, and never realized she was your wife until a few months ago. Love when my worlds collide, and also, I need a cardi-cami like Mae's, it looks fab and comfy.
This was lovely and I'm currently also working on a made to move barbie version of my trans partner and I can only hope that it turns out HALF as good as this did, I hope your wife loved it!
I'm a miniature painter and I love recognizing many of the same products being used in different hobbies. It was quite interesting seeing a mix of familiar techniques with mixed with stuff i've never done, like dyeing clothing.
Absolutely lovely! Wow! The doll is a-ma-zing! I must say that I discovered RealLife Comics as I was slowly coming out, at the beginning of the pandemic, and Mae has been a part of my life since, in many ways, as a geek, Trek fan, gamer, Pepsi lover, and a newly freed woman. And thank you for the disclaimer regarding the intro. There is obviously unending care in your household and it shines. (And now I feel I know why Mae's makeup is always very much on point 🙂!) Thanks again Liz! Hugs and air kisses!
I’m glad that the disclaimer is going well. I was really concerned that folks might mistake my wording as being flippant. However, it’s the exact opposite. However, it’s difficult to tell the story properly without using those older terms.
One of my favorite videos of yours! I’ve always admired and related to the incredible thought you put into your dolls, but this is so thoughtful and sweet in an even more personal way. You and your wife working in tandem to create things together and celebrate each other is so admirable! And I’m so impressed with the volume and color of the hair- it’s absolutely perfect! Thanks for sharing your story, it means so so much, it’s always so meaningful to see happy adult queer people as a young queer person myself. I’m so glad I discovered you and your work on Instagram!
I am so very happy to know that this spoke to you as a young queer person. I want to be vocal and public with my relationship so that people might be more accepting of your relationships. ❤️ Thank you so much for commenting. ❤️
I have so much to say, but don't want to go overboard. So to be simple... This was beautiful. You are beautiful. Your love is beautiful. Mae is beautiful. This video turned a rather glum day into a bright one, so thank you for sharing such an amazing story with us. 💖
seeing trans love stories like this always make me bawl :( having a love as strong as that... to be together with a person for that long and go through so much together, to transition and still love your partner as your wife :( it makes my trans heart so happy and hopeful that i will find someone to love me like that one day :,) y'all are adorable and i love your videos, as well as all the hard work that goes into them, especially those boots omg! the details are amazing!
-SQUEEEEEE- I LOVE THIS! Mae's coming out in the comics happened just a couple of months before I came out and watching her journey has been a HUGE inspiration for me.🧡 Thank you for sharing this! Also, I didn't know I needed doll customization videos in my life but I'm definitely watching more 🧡
I love this. I know Mae has cracked quite a few eggs with her comic series. 🥹 (Not saying she cracked your egg.) We both agreed that we needed to be as vocal as possible through this transition and afterward. I’m glad her comics have brought you some joy.
@@DollyPop 🧡 I wouldn't say she cracked it but definitely knocked pieces loose. The strip where she reads the meme that says "if you aren't transitioning because you'd make an ugly girl, you're already trans" or similar. Well it was the same meme that made my eyes pop and go wide and made me realize I couldn't repress it anymore. And the subsequent strips were like she was drawing the conversations going on in my own head. 🧡🧡🧡 I know we all have different experiences and different journeys but I've found a lot of us trans-femmes seem to have some huge similarities. Being visibly, loudly, and proudly out does so much to help those struggling with these thoughts not feel alone. Mae inspired me to live openly and to be loudly TRANS. It's not always easy but it's so worth it.🧡🧡🧡 Visibility MATTERS!
@@DollyPop also, just as an aside, my great grandmother taught me to sew when I was 3 so I could make clothes for my dolls because my parentals wouldn't buy them or allow anyone to give them to me. I named myself after her.
Oh my goodness, I used to read Real Life back before my attention span broke into tiny pieces! What a small world it is... This is one of the sweetest things I've ever seen, though. The doll turned out beautifully, and your story had me tearing up. Thank you for sharing this with us, and I hope Mae loves her new doll!
I'm all teared up now. My partner is transitioning and I am nonbinary, and the fact that you did this wonderful personal art as a form of celebration really makes my heart sing. Thank you for allowing us to share in it too.
Omg Real Life comics got me through a really rough patch in my life. I had sort of let it go when I moved on from there. Its amazing to me that your love story mirrors my own in some surprising ways.
Awww! I’m happy to hear that RLC was there for you when you needed it. It sounds like you must be fairly happy now if your love story reflects ours. ☺️
This was absolutely beautiful, and had me sniffling and smiling and tearing up all the way through. It's amazing how far you and Mae have come, and how happy you both clearly are now.💖
I cried while making the intro as I sorted through our photos then I walked into her office and gave her a big hug. She asked me what was wrong and I replied, “Nothing. We’ve just been through a lot together.” Sometimes you take time for granted and don’t notice how much you’ve experienced with someone.
@@DollyPop It's true. And when those moments hit you, it's hard not to get emotional. I think you guys can be really proud of yourselves for how far you've come, and for cultivating such a healthy love💕
Hehe the hands in the pockets. What a wonderful way to show your eternal love and support for your partner. You did a wonderful job as well she looks so pretty.
Your story is adorable of how you two met and your determination to start darting a comic artist haha. I love all the love and care and little details you put into this, I am sure your wife loves it.
Very cute doll and with everything the internet is nowadays (with controversies and scam everywhere) its easy to forget that wholesome stories like yours happened thanks to it. Stay safe you both!
The internet has a lot of good that goes along with the bad. It’s difficult to see sometimes, but how wonderful is it that people feel empowered enough to be who they truly are!
@@DollyPop but you can see and we can see, where you were at the beginning of your journey and where you are now. Looking for to the next doll (I think a mini project of your new kitten to go with you wife) then something spring time to help chase the winter blues xxx
I just want to point out how excellent the tremendous work went into the editing of this video . I also want to point out that I’m super happy to find someone else in my age bracket into this weird little niche art form . Excellent work!❤😊
Thank you! One of my goals in life is to open about this situation because there was literally nothing for me to look at and see that relationships can continue after transition. So I want to be there for others who need that positivity.
Wow! I saw this through Mae's FB post, and had no idea what to expect. This is awesome. I paint minis as a hobby but I've never seen anything related to doll customization. I've only ever painted faces with acrylics, and it's really cool to see what you can do with the watercolor pencils and pastels. The clothing customization is nuts. Loved the video. Also, thank you to you and Mae for putting your story out there. When I started my transition, it was one of the first successful marriages during transition that I had been exposed to and it was very meaningful to me.
First, I started my crafting “career” as a dollhouse miniature maker, which is probably not the miniatures you’re talking about, but you’ll probably notice some similarities. 😉 Next, your final comment means so much to me. When Mae came out, I scoured the internet looking for positive outcomes. The only thing I could find was a story about a wife who stayed but wished she could have her husband back. That’s not the positive I was looking for. Even my doctor told me that most couples don’t survive. So it’s been very important to me to be that story for someone else. To hear that we’re reaching and helping makes my little heart so happy. ❤️
such an amazing story, beautiful couple and family, and amazing artistry in the doll and her packaging! you did amazing and it's so cool mae herself got to help with the new rendition, makes it really feel like a labor of love from the two of you!
My recommendations brought me here, & I am very happy it did! Beautiful work, and a beautiful love story! Also, hands are indeed difficult to draw. I love the back of the box too "Help Mae interrupt her wife, Liz, as she works" is absolutely adorable detailing.
I've been following Mae's comic for so long I remember when the Liz character was introduced. I found you completely separately through Instagram recommendations because I was drawn in by your work. It was a trip when I figured out you two were connected! What a stellar tribute.
2002!! And I have read that comic before around the same time 😂 and that isn’t a cringey story at all it’s so cute oh my goodness, thank you for sharing it with us as it’s always so nice to hear 💙and as someone who’s nonbinary, it’s heartwarming to hear these love stories 🥹
She’s gorgeous and so is your wife .I think you have really brought this Barbie to life .The face paint is one of the best I have seen on a Barbie ,you have given her face shape,depth and character.I love the outfit too,it’s true to the comic yet it’s also a really nice could be wearable fashion too.All beautifully done.The package was really clever too and has really shown how far you have come forward over time .I hope she really loved this too 🥰
It was nice hearing your side of the story. It’s been so long that I forgot your origin story in the comic. I guess I’ll have to binge read it from the beginning. I’m glad you were able to accept Mae and her need to transition and to see that the pair of you are moving forward in a happy and loving life. I’ve said it other videos of yours. Your dolls are amazing and this one really captured Mae and her…quirkiness. Every doll you’ve done is more amazing than the ones before. I can’t wait to see what’s next in store.
Playline barbies always have the HARDEST faces to scrub off i swear ! It makes things better for the kids who play with them, but gosh i wish theyd cut us customizers a bit of a break 🤣 side note, seeing your wife's comics really made me nostalgic. I remember when that sort of slice-of-life comic style was super popular back in the mid 2000s, and i used to binge read a whole bunch of them as a kid. I wonder if i ever read hers :0 !
I love that I followed you randomly on Instagram without knowing you were Mae's wife I've been following both of your adventures on Real-life for 20 years. This is an awesome story and Mae's doll is stunning.
Mae looks amazing, both irl and in doll form! 💖💖 Her faceup is gorgeous, your sewing is fantastic and that remade packaging? Chef's kiss. So good! And so full of love and care. 💖🙌 And oof, yeah, a lot of new Barbies (but not all) have those hard to remove faces (much like the BTS and Creatable World dolls). They also singe the hair inside instead of gluing it these days. Some people find that easier to remove but I actually weirdly prefer the glue. 😅
That’s my goal in life. When she first came out, there were no positive stories of marriages making it. Which scared me. So my goal is to share all of the good. ❤️
Absolutely stunning!!! It's so accurate to both the comic and the real life counterpart, and the details on the box (both of them, tbh) are really really nice!! Your wife IS a cutie, let's open up that old forum post again XD
Can I just say how much I love the attention to detail in recreating the comic sets in mini form? 😊 And the posing was perfect! I was nodding along with the subdermal colouring bit... I took a painting class at Reapercon years ago where we spent probably half an hour on that topic, and the explanations as to why it is that way. I believe we used a yellow instead of white for the forehead but it was a pale yellow so 🤷🏻♀️. I also really like the way you did the hair... It looked a lot more natural than if you'd had yarn all the exact colour you were aiming for, because it introduced some subtle variations in tone. All around, another fantastic figure. 😊 And thank you for sharing!
People who colorize old photos really need to look up subdermal coloring. They just look SO flat. As do modern camera sensors, unfortunately. And I say that as a photography back-of-house person. I really miss the Fuji sensors.
I mean, I put my heart into each doll I make, but this one hit differently. This one was truly a testament of getting past one of the most difficult stumbling blocks in a marriage. ❤️
@@DollyPop ok first of all your wife is beautiful second of all THE LITTLE DETAILS 🥺 I kept pausing to see everything and to read the box and it’s all just so cute. You can really see the love put into it 💕
This is really beautiful. It’s not only showing your progress as a creator and artist, but the progress your wonderful wife has made and the bond you share. Lovely. :) I also really like that you show the things that DON’T work out for you, like the goo gone for the residual paper. It’s much more interesting and engaging than the impression that everything goes smoothly and perfectly all the time.
Thank you for sharing your love story and your wife's journey with us. You could have easily made this off screen as it is truly personal and private for you two. It's a lovely video and doll custom. What a heartfelt video and a wonderful tribute to your wife!
I had thought about making it off screen, but it's so important to me to have our story out in the world. When Mae first came out to me, I couldn't find any positive stories of relationships lasting. So I decided that *I* needed to be that story. :)
You were just recommended to me on my RU-vid front page! I'd never seen your channel before, but your work is amazing, and the story behind this doll really warmed my heart as a trans person myself! Not gonna lie, I may have shed a few (very happy, I promise!) tears. It was really awesome that we got to see the first doll as well, not just to mark your progress as a doll customizer, but also to see how far Mae has come as well to being her true self! Thank you so much for making this video, and I've absolutely subscribed for more!
As a trans man, I think this is absolutely beautiful. Your love for your wife warms my heart and how you stuck with her through her transition brings tears to my eyes. The world needs more people like you, honestly. The doll is a wonderful representation of her.
Thank you. That's why I try to be open about our relationship. It's important to me that there are happy stories out there of our kind of relationship.
Awww! Your story is so sweet, I loved hearing it. I don't know if it would have worked on the packaging, but I always have a bottle of non-acetone, no oil nail polish remover by Depend, at home, since it works on all kinds of dolls, vinyl, resin, plastic etc.
This was attached with super glue, I think. So I don’t think it would have worked. Looking it up online, it’s suggested to use vinegar but that didn’t even work. 🙈
I just had doll customizing videos on autoplay, I was so happy to stumble upon you! As a trans guy terrified no cis partner could want me, seeing this absolutely warmed my heart and made me a little less afraid. thank you so much Dollypop, keep doing what you're doing!
This isn't just a magnificent video, it's an incredible love letter. The effort and love put into this stunning doll, this artwork, are evident. An incredible story, incredible love, incredible talent, wonderful art. I'm so glad I got to watch this and so happy people will happen upon this on the internet. As a member of the LGBTQ+ community myself this also has an extra layer of magnificent love.
Wow, thank you! Now I'm crying! T_T Mae and I would like to eventually start a second channel where we discuss her transition, and how our marriage changed or didn't change because of it. When she first came out, I couldn't find anything on the internet that discussed marriages surviving transition, so it's super important to me to get our story out there.
@@DollyPop That would be wonderful, I feel like the internet is still quite barren in that aspect. (Save for like idk BuzzFeed sensationalizing it). I think it's an important story and it sounds like a wonderful story full of love and support, which the world could use sometimes. If you both feel like it's something you'd like to put out there, talk about more, I think that's an incredible idea.
also yes my gender also went through a glowup between reading those comics and now thus my unreasonable excitement. I'm so unreasonably pleased and happy and proud.
This came out so Awesome! By the by, it's a bit of a long shot but... I had some light fogging issues on a clear Gundam kit I built recently thanks to the glue I used for a repair. I got one of those double sided glossy nail buffers for acrylic nails & it cleared things right up. It was pretty cheap & worth a try if you run into that issue again. = )
RU-vid home page has once again recommended a talented artist with such a beautiful story to go with this doll and video. Can't wait to see what else you do moving forward! Now if you'll excuse me, I have a channel to binge watch :)
This is so sweet! The doll turned out great :) You guys are adorable ❤✨ Thank you for the heartfelt story you shared with us. As a nonbinary person who is currently trying to figure out a way to embrace this side of myself in a relationship with my significant other it made me emotional. I feel a bit happier now seeing such an example of great love and trust. ❤ Wish all the best to you and to your family ☀️💛
Ack! I'm crying! This is why I'm so vocal about our story. When she came out to me, there were zero positive stories about these relationships working out. I don't want that to be the case for others.
