"I'd never even entered a contest before," said Mulford, who operates Specialty Woodworking out of a shop on his property. "I felt pretty pleased. I'm also glad my wife Gaynelle went with me -- it was good for her to see something good come out of what I do."

Mulford took honors in the case-making category.

Locals Ed Beacham and Duane Houston also entered the contest and took first place in their divisions.

"Ed won a blue ribbon for his experimental gas pump design clock -- you only have to wind it once a year. Duane took first for the best clock reproduction," Mulford said. "I think we broke some records."

The contest was sponsored by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors.

Mulford took up wood working after he found himself trying to raise children as a single parent.

"I'd driven a truck for 13 years," Mulford said. "But I wanted some kind of work I could do and still stay home with my kids. I thought that if Jesus was a carpenter, then I could do that, too."

Mulford describes himself as "mostly self-taught," but has been studying under Paul Schurch, a master woodworker in Santa Barbara.

"He's teaching me marquetry and inlay," said Mulford. "Schurch won't let us use power tools -- it's all done by hand."

Mulford described marquetry as the art of taking small pieces of wood veneer and making pictures.