AusBonsai

I want to take a couple of cuttings from a bougainvillea, but need some advice on how to best go about this.
Do they grow easily from cuttings or are they difficult to propagate by this method?
When is the best time of year for it?
Is thicker, woody material better than younger growth?
Once I have taken the cutting, should I put it into water or straight into potting mix after applying rooting hormone?
Is it better to remove all or most leaves or keep some leaves on the cutting?
Any advice on this plus any other points I may have missed would be welcome.
Thank you,
Frank.

Very easy as cuttings. Just straight into potting mix is probably best but why not put some in a jar of water so you can see what's happening. same should be occurring in the potting mix all other factors being equal so you will know what the others are up to.

Most species will root any time of year but some times and growth stages are a little easier. Best time to take cuttings of any plant is when you have access to the shoots and have some time.
Dormant cuttings are easier to manage but take longer to root usually.
Cuttings with leaves will need some humidity so a plastic bag or dome helps them along.
Semi hard wood roots well so wait for the new growth to harden a bit and the bark change color.
New growth can root really quick but cuttings will generally be smaller and they have high moisture needs so sometimes tricky without misting system.

If the cuttings have leaves remove most so they do not transpire too much water and dehydrate the cuttings before roots can form. Some leaves will help but too many cause problems. I find that if I leave too many the cuttings just drop some so they can stay alive.

Thank you for the quick reply Neil ,I can now go ahead with confidence and as you suggested, try a few slightly different options to see whch one works best.
Cheers, Frank.

Everything shibui said is relevant to our conditions up here Frank. They really are pretty easy. I've taken 20mm thick cuttings recently and they've taken ok. Some people seem to be able to get them to root on much bigger material even.

Thanks for that Mel, I'll also try a couple of different size cuttings.