If a part is called for in a diagram, choosing to leave it out and expect normal operation would mean to me... that you know more than the person who designed it.
Asking why it doesn't work properly means that you don't understand at all. The parts, all of them, have a purpose and it isn't just to make things complicated.
Submitting a question here without a diagram and pictures and the sketch you are using is going to get you as much information as you have given and referring to a Link for a nonexistent part and circuit makes your whole request rather difficult. There are no 10K resistors, TLC5490's or anything else similar except the mosfets in the drawing. The Mosfet's should have a pull down on the gate to ground and 10K is a good value to use... although they aren't in the LadyAda drawing or even mentioned for that matter. What I think is that you don't have your board wired as the drawing shows. LadyAda, Limor Fried is very careful to test everything in a "Tutorial". That's how she really makes money... By selling things that work... Every time, and can be successfully constructed by anyone...
{Edited for "Attitude and content". RKJ}
Bob