Go for it.

It should not take a lot of time to rip one board and use the strips to make a sample. Since you'll be laying up a panel on a flat base you don't even need to use long pieces of stock. You can rip strips from 4 foot lengths or longer. If you use short strips you'll just get more joints -- which is not a big problem at all. Butt joints are fine. Just arrange the strips so the joints are staggered.

Let us know how it works out.

Paul Jacobson