Stay-at-Home: Crystal ball photography

For Christmas, one of my daughters gave me a crystal ball for use in my photography. Over the past week or so I have been trying it out in earnest – it is not as easy as one might suppose. The biggest issue I have is with unwanted reflections. Below are the best of my first attempts, although I need to do more research and practice with different methods:

This photo was taken in a conservatory. It worked quite well although you can see reflections of the windows in the ceiling. Another attempt is justified.
This was taken low down in the garden. The concept works quite well but the reflections are somewhat distracting. Again, worth another attempt.
Almost there although reflections are still an issue.
A bit better but more practice is required