Its all a learning curve, especially on first builds, so don't beat yourself up too much. I thought finish was going to be pretty straightforward, but still managed to stuff up the first go at it. Flip or chameleon paint is notoriously difficult to get right. Light coats in multiple directions is the go, waiting a couple of minutes between passes. It also really needs to be out in the sun to get the full colour change effect.

I'm not up on the dyes, but it might change once you start getting some clear on and the different wood tones show through.