super-basic template?

Hi,

  I've just gotten started with modding, and would really like to begin playing around with mods. I got various recepies working, and got a tool and block registered and functioning, too... but I am, for reasons unclear to me, unable to get them to render. (Working in 1pt8) Despite following various "updating 1.7 to 1.8" tutorials to the letter.

So, I'm wondering if there is a super-basic 1.8 compatible mod out there that adds one fully textured item and one block? I'd really like to get into experimenting with this instead of struggling with loading a bunch of json files. If there isn't, would someone be willing to create one?

I've never used it yet, but its 1.8.

http://www.minecraftforge.net/forum/index.php/topic,26267.0.html

Check it out, it has some stuff about json models and textures.