Frustrated:Learning from mistakes

I guess I will start at the beginning.  My daughter is in band and is in high school.  Her school band has been chosen to march in the 2013 Memorial Day Parade in Washington, D.C.  So I have been on a quest as to ideas as to some small items I could make and sell.  I want to chaperon this trip.  The estimated cost per student is $900 this does not include food.  The kids will have tons of fundraisers between now and then.  But I need to try and raise my $900 plus extra for food.  Ok so I decided to make Carnival Earrings over at yarnplayertats.  So I loaded up my shuttle like she states for the beads.  I get he 1st ring made and notice my beads are not sitting like hers, and somehow my thread has twisted and my stitches are not sitting properly.  I try to undo the stitches to start over but was unable to do so.  So decided to trash and start over again.  Still not understanding why my beads do not sit properly, I started again.  This time I got to the point where I was adding the 9 beads and just could not figure out how to do it.  I have not added beads to rings so was a little confused, but after stopping and then thinking about the pattern and instructions, it hit me as to what I was doing wrong with beads and why they where not sitting properly.  The pattern says to slide up beads, which means when you are ready to start that ring you slide beads for that ring onto the thread that is held in your left hand.  I was sliding beads into place from shuttle which means they where on the shuttle thread when worked.  Soo once again I try to undo as many stitches as possible to save thread.  I am working with Lizbeth size #20 color #131 and is tiny thread.  I ended up cutting and removing my beads and starting all over.  So 3rd try is always a charm, right?  Well I did it, after all day I finially finished the 1 earring.  Came out pretty good too.  So to hide ends I decided I would knot like some of the others I have heard done.  Well I think I knoted wrong and after I cut the ends the knot came undone.  All that work done the drain.  Said a few words, decided to take break and catch up on my True Blood episodes.  So after I cooled down, decided okay need to find way to hide ends and had heard of few methods, so decided to visit youtube.  Good old youtube, such a wonderful place.  I found 2 videos that show how to hide beginning thread if just working with shuttle and also found video that shows how to hide your finished thread ending.  I hope this information helps you. I did take picture before taking apart to salavage beads and earring part.  Is rather hard to see the round bead in center, but it is a pearl in an ivory color.  Seedbeads are also ivory in color.  I did not have a teardrop bead for long loop so I added a few extra seedbeads.  Today I will attempt again and use the knowledge of hiding thread.