So far, I haven't done anything more than beads, although there are molds available for making dip trays and incense burners from bottles.
www.delphiglass.com has several. There's also a book,
40 Great Glass Fusing Projects by Lynn Haunstein that has some interesting techniques for bottle glass. I haven't done any etching either, largely because the etching solutions and pastes make me nervous. Nitric acid is nasty stuff!
Special effects like metal foils, mesh, pixie dust, glow powders, and metal frits should work just fine, since they don't have any COE of their own. You could also try dichroic extract for that extra sparkle.