How do I hint to her I like her (A LOT)?

I have had the maddest crush I've ever had in my whole life. I've been thinking about her every day, and almost every chance that my mind's not busy with school or a particularly focused task -- I end up remembering how she smiles, laughs, talks... and I'm back on cloud 9 again.
Thing is, apparently there is no one who truly knows what her orientation is! I first had my eyes glued to her because she just radiated masculine qualities, from her hair to the way she spoke and dressed. Even without these traits though, there are so many things I find so attractive about her.

I've NEVER been so high on cloud 9 before, and I've had a few crushes. Only one other time I thought this one other girl in high school was so beautiful --- at first I thought it was a guy! Anyway, I've decided that I'm not ashamed of whether I'm just bisexual or full out lesbian. I'm going to keep testing whether she might like me back.

She seems to be hinting back that she's okay with me liking her, but then again I've never felt so interested in someone like this before. I've never thought about someone so much like this, ever! This past holiday break I had originally planned to draw to improve my skills -- but after my intense crushing started -- I've been drawing my crush over and over, the different aspects of her that are in my mind (her smile, her walking, her side view, her gorgeously shiny hair, her eyes...). I love her voice, and I love being around her. I can't stop thinking about how awesome it is to be around her.

How should I let her know that I like her? When should I tell her I like her? For now, I'm planning on asking her when she's free so we can hang out so I can get to know her. Eventually, I want to seriously ask her out. But I've never asked anybody out before.

In the long-view, I've decided that when I really do fall in love with a woman, I'll drop the inevitable bomb on my family, regardless of how they will react. I will probably keep dropping hints to my parents but I know in the end, they will only truly understand when I tell them straight up.

 

Thank you Seagypsy! I've decided to tone myself down on the infatuation, but I don't see the harm in gauging her reactions by flirting a bit. It just confuses me because everyone around her says that she says flirty things to people she gets comfortable with. She's apparently a very closed book to them, because other than for a very very select few, people don't even know what her orientation is. I'm thinking I will give myself at least a year to get to know her as a person, before I tell her at all how I've been feeling. I'm not quite sure how I will react to whatever her reaction will be.