It all started with a 2 inch box while Stephen was working for Kingsley Enamels! Steve suddenly had the inspiration to paint the inside of the box as well as the outside. Surprisingly at the time, this was very innovative in the world of enamelled boxes and was a great hit with customers. When Moorcroft came along, enamalled boxes transformed over-night into vases and Steve set himself the challenge of painting the inside of a 75 mm (3 inch) tall vase with an opening of no more than 40 mm (1.5 inches). Thus the first "in-out" vase in the history of British enamels emerged into the light of day. His colleagues at Moorcroft Enamels have cursed him ever since, as each has felt the need to learn this difficult and pain-staking technique!!

It was not surprising that the Robins vase captured everyone's imagination, painted as it was with a nest of eggs on the inside. Although priced at £745, which seemed a lot of money at the time even for a small masterpiece, it became the most coveted item in the Moorcroft Enamels range. Eighteen months later one example sold in an internet auction for £1590 and at the May 2000 Moorcroft Open Day a one-off version of the vase with a lid sold for £1600. By now the eggs had hatched and one lucky owner got a unique vase. In 2001 American collectors were able to purchase an equivalent piece by Stephen depicting the Bluebird, which like the Robin is a member of the Thrush family.

Two years after the success of the Robins vase Stephen bowed to popular demand and painted a PEX box with images of Robins: