For their first date, Christian Asencio took Chelsea Shugert to a blacksmithing shop he managed in Austin, Texas, where he taught her how to forge a bottle opener. This became the start of their relationship and the foundation of Yucca Studio, an El Paso-based blacksmithing studio.

“He let me forge and hammer, which meant he really trusted me. It wasn’t until I got more involved in this that I realized how crazy he was to not even really know me but trust me to sledgehammer while he held it,” she said, laughing.

Asencio picked up blacksmithing while taking a class at Austin Community College. The couple later decided to return to El Paso to open Yucca Studio. Asencio focuses on architectural blacksmithing, something he considers “jewelry for the home.” His projects have included doors, fireplace screens and a custom piece for The Falstaff, an artist-driven community space. The idea came after the couple took Asencio’s mother there and noticed the space lacked an accessible support feature.

“We had taken his mom and realized they didn’t have a handrail,” Shugert said. “We reached out and asked if we could create a handrail and be a part of this cool thing we felt was buzzing.”

Shugert has also continued developing her blacksmithing skills while managing much of Yucca Studio’s presence at local markets. 

“The markets for me provide a lot of room for growth in this craft,” she said. “I get to learn from him, as well as getting to socialize and network while expanding the Yucca Studio brand.”

Yucca Studio now finds itself in a new space in the Socorro area, where the couple hopes to offer workshops and expand its reach. They also hope to continue giving back to the community, as they did in 2025 when Asencio created a hand sculpture for a Make-A-Wish silent auction.

“It felt really good to be able to not only create something and have people see my work, but hopefully have it contribute to such a great and generous organization,” Asencio said.

“I’d like to see if we could do more of that, creating sculptures around the city to raise money for causes that inspire change,” Shugert added.

As the couple grows the studio, they hope to receive more inquiries through their website and Instagram and look forward to what comes next.

“One of the intentions of being in El Paso is to spread the word about blacksmithing and provide a space for people to come through and learn the process,” Asencio said. “My intention is to be more generous than I take.”