Welcome to A.T. Spookery!
As for scrying, first of all--after reading my 'expert advice'
(I'm NOT the expert here, but I do know a few things about it), I'd encourage you to check out the thread below that is ongoing here. I know there are others and I'll look for them and update this post here for you to also check out.
Now for the advice-
1. If you do not own a ball, no need to buy one--just use whatever you have--even a bowl of water will do--in any type of bowl. Best if the bowl is patternless on the inside or glass/crystal.
2. DO NOT STARE INTO THE TOOL. It is not necessary to do this, unless you want to give yourself a good migraine. All that is needed is for you to look 'beyond' and still your mind then pay attention to what comes to you. Pay attention to all your senses of course.
3. Start off small. Do the scrying for perhaps 5-15 minutes at the most. In this time frame if you begin to feel uncomfortable at all--any sense of a headache, eye ache or anything comes on--STOP! And, pick it up another day.
now, as I said, I am not an expert at all. I've tried this many times though, have read every book and place online that deals with this that I could get to and my daughter and my aunt use to scry. So, I've also picked up information about this through their experiences. Goddessofthehunter has the thread below-and she is exceptionally good at the scrying--as well as a beginner! A REAL natural! Perhaps you'd like to join in there and give it a go. Re-pete-a doesn't have a crystal but is using something that seems to work for him, and the others too. So, give it a try and see what happens. You have nothing to lose.
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?t=219245&page=12
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=3933476&highlight=scrying#post3933476
http://www.tarotforum.net/showthread.php?p=2904172&highlight=scrying#post2904172
