Hi Renee,
I'm new at posting here but not real new to metalworking. I just thought I'd pass along a link to a very popular online store that I've purchased from before and was pleased with their service & selection.
You can purchase a strip of 1/8" thick x 3" wide 316 stainless sheet and it's not too terribly expensive.
http://www.onlinemetals.com/merchant...d=27&top_cat=1
You can look around the site and once you figure out how to navigate, you can select different alloys in steel, copper, brass, aluminum, etc...
You could even order 12" x 12" sheet and specify that you want it cut up and they'll chop it up for you (for a small fee) into convenient practice plates.
Hope it helps!
Andy
