About INCOMPARABLE Buttons Our Company & Our Artisans

Giving Employment to Women in South Africa Since 1982

Jennifer Pascall Founder/Designer

buttonmad.ca offers wholesale distribution and retail sales in North America, for Incomparable South Africa's line of hand-made ceramic buttons & associated product lines.

was established in 1982, as a small company based in Johannesburg, South Africa by Jennifer Pascall. Initially design work began around a kitchen table transforming small pieces of clay into buttons of all shapes and sizes. Many of the first designs, which are still popular today, were inspired by Africa's rich ethnic artworks and distinctive wildlife. Over the years INCOMPARABLE BUTTONS began specializing in the creation of handmade buttons, craft pieces, craft kits, painting kits, greeting cards and jewellery. Jennifer remains as head of the company and is chief designer and copyright holder for all of INCOMPARABLE's designs.

The Sunshine Team

South Africa

As the company evolved, ladies from the local community were hired and trained in the art of button making. Today, Jennifer's entire family, as well as 45 women are involved in the business.

SA Flag

Most of the them had never held a paintbrush before joining the company and over time mastered their brushes. Their sense of pride in their work, belonging within the company and confidence in their skills gives them tremendous pleasure and provides economic empowerment to benefit their families.

Rachel

Many of these women have been a part of the INCOMPARABLE Family from the early days, playing a vital role in the company's success. The INCOMPARABLE Team speak a wide variety of languages including, isiNdebele, isiXhosa, isiZulu, Sepedi, Sesotho, and Setswana. The South African Constitution provides for 11 official languages, stating that everyone has the right to use the language and participate in the cultural life of his or her choice.

Rebecca

The parent company in South Africa is involved in the entire production process, from the sourcing of raw materials to the presentation of the finished product. This allows us to confidently present a durable and unique product range of exceptional quality at affordable prices. The company is also strongly committed to using environmentally-friendly materials and production processes.

Kate

Each button and craft piece is created and painted entirely by hand. Every button, once made, is dried outside in the warm South African sun then fired to a bisque and hand painted. At this stage they are taken through a 24 hour firing to the hottest temperature the colours will withstand, ensuring their complete durability and extreme hardiness.

Shon

INCOMPARABLE offers a wide range of copyrighted designs which are presented as sets sewn onto brightly coloured cards and craft pieces packed into craft packs. The button cards are grouped into themes, which include Christmas, Halloween, Wild Animals, Cute Cats and Dashing Dogs, Valentine Hearts, Fun Bears, Bees, Autumn Leaves, Stars, Spirals and a zoo of other designs catering to every occasion. New designs and themes are introduced on a regular basis and added to our online catalog.

Rachel

INCOMPARABLE Buttons are fully washable and dry cleanable. This is a first for ceramic buttons and offers sewers, knitters, crafters and clothing manufacturers a great new alternative to plastic. With embellishment becoming ever more popular, the buttons are also perfect for quilters and cross stitchers who are looking to add a unique finishing touch to their project, as well as many other crafting applications.