Further Thoughts on Sampling

As I wrote in my Reflection (below), I enjoyed Sampling the most of all the projects thus far. I think Plagiarism, even as an assignment, was still too morally murky for me to really have fun with. Ghostwriting was entertaining because of the creative challenge inherent to it, but I was also frustrated trying to match a style of poetry that was less developed, maybe, than what I'm used to reading. Sampling, however, left me with a genuine feeling of authorship. Even the Sampling derived largely of copyrighted images felt like a new creation that I had made. I think the process of Sampling is a creative one, and that taking those elements and assembling them into something new is as valid a form of authorship as any.
That said, I'm curious how everyone went about their Sampling. I tried using the Creative Commons Search Engine (http://search.creativecommons.org/), however I had trouble getting anything of substance with it. Maybe I was looking for the wrong things, but I didn't find it especially helpful. I know Joe said the Directory is a more effective way to go about a search. In the end I basically gave up and just used a bunch of things I drew by hand.
I'm also curious how everyone planned their arguments. I basically brainstormed some thoughts on authorship (no author is entirely free of influence, the author is not limited to the written word, there is a legal battle frequently pitting large established groups against individuals over the future of what can be used, etc.). From there I chose recognizable images that could convey those thoughts, which proved fairly easy. In my Sampling every piece is intentionally placed (for example, the moon and snow are part of the second Sampling for a reason despite looking like filler). I tried to make the overall appearance part of my argument as well, taking space and positions into account. It might take some thought but I believe there are reasons for everything. How did you all do your Sampling?