Congratulations!
I had the same problems - When I initially got the car, if I was going somewhere new I'd check the route out on google street view to ensure there weren't any nasty uphills lol
(stop laughing).
I got the hang of it fairly quickly though. When new to it, if I wasn't using the handbrake technique, I would half clutch it on uphills. So basically, put car in gear, let go of the clutch half the way (just before the catch point) and then hold it there. When you're ready to roll, do your thing.
Also, probably a good idea to try to use your right foot on the brake as a reference for where your left foot should be to catch. Practice with the car stopped - that definitely helped me.
Once you get used to, you'll be lawling.
