Handmade Military Pip Brooch

We find old military pips fascinating with their rich colours, intricate goldwork, mottos and designs. It seems a great shame that they so often languish by the boxful gathering dust.  Unusable?  Not to us.  We love to reinvent them and we have combined this example with a smaller pip which we have added into a gold effect oval dropper. The brooch is backed with brilliant blue shiny leather and we have edged both pips with colourful green and red beads.