node add/edit problem

I have trawled through all the active issues and although I found something similar as a panels 2 issue and I posted there, I was not able to get a response, so I am trying again as a new issue.
I followed the suggestions listed in that issue as closely as I can but I still run up agains the same problem since I started to create customised node/add node/edit panels for my site.
Background info first: Drupal and Panels versions as listed in the comment settings.
Custom panel layout - basically 2-column.
The steps I have taken are:
structure/pages/System-Node-Edit (/node/%node/edit)
Enabled
Created a title
Added selection rule: Node-bundle (though I have tried other variations)
Made this the Node add context for this selection
Ticked the node type for this variant (I have tried several of my content types)
Disabled Drupal/blocks/regions
Added Form- General Form - Node Add Form - to the left panel and custom content - explanatory help text to the right panel
Created Variant
Update and Save
Preview - asks for node ID -Why? I am wanting to add new content so this is surely not relevant. I have tried putting in the node ID of a single Acronym piece of content it makes no difference.
Thinking it might be ok if I then go and try and add content in the normal manner.
Wrong.
In every variation of what I have tried (also with node/edit as well as node/add), my theme is blown away and I get a single strip across the whole screen with a solitary word in it - Array.
To recover I have to go back to Structure and not just disable the variant but I have to delete it completely before I can get the standard drupal node/add form again.

I would greatly appreciate any assistance anyone can offer on this. Again it is probably something very simple that I am missing.