Not can it be done, it looks beautiful. My DH did this - not only a DIY job, he had never worked with concrete before so it was all a "maybe this will work, let's try it" project!

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He says he set the outside stones carefully level (you will need to buy or borrow a 6' level, for something like this) on a packed sand foundation. Wet the sand; the slower concrete dries the stronger it is. He filled in the center with some rip-rap (we had some broken up concrete from past jobs), then poured over that, the usual quick-set concrete dry mix bought from HDepot, wet it down, and leveled it. Then let it dry for about a week, misting it down gently every day.

Then he set the second course, filled in the center with concrete mix only, did the whole level/daily wetting.

We live on a hill with slippery clay soil and a lot of continual settlement, and the stairs have been rock-solid perfect since 2003. HTH!

Wow that looks really pretty! It's exactly how mine looked, and I really liked the effect (until I started walking on it and it all started separating!). I am thinking my main problem was that my rocks weren't level, so I will go out with shovel this weekend and start digging.

Thanks so much for the pictures and the advice. I'll keep my fingers crossed that Try #2 hits the mark!

Like in painting, prep is everything. Get your foundation good and level. Also, that first level of blocks is set in not only sand, but a layer of concrete mix was watered in. Good luck for your second try!