A good friend and co-worker that passed away a couple of years back had saved cypress strips and other wood strips from a boat project he had worked on...his wife asked if i could use any and i took a few not really knowing how i might use them....I glued them up and ripped them down on the table saw to the 11/2 size i needed and cut about a dozen of these guys....I have given half of them to my friends wife for their family......Finished in BLO and Min. sprits and a couple of coats of clear poly....D. Thompson patterns.......I think they turned out OK, A little different.
If the prices are close(including shipping) I will keep the money local, but like wayne and others have said,if the best value is out of town you have to go with it !
Like Ike I use a lot of 1/4 underlayment board that you can get at the big box stores...not very expensive and i usually wind painting it black for a backer .....just my two cents !